


The Lion's Flute

by TheLegendOfChel



Series: The Lion's Flute [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossdressing, Fluff, Keith is Sheik, Knight Lance (Voltron), Lance is Link, Legend of Zelda AU, Legend of Zelda References, M/M, Prince Keith (Voltron), Protective Keith (Voltron), Protective Lance (Voltron), Sharing a Bed, but it's mainly just self-indulgent klance, eventually anyway, it's not based on a particular game so much as the lore in general, now with art!, the other paladins show up briefly, uhhh spoilers for ocarina of time i guess?, you don't need to be super familiar with Zelda to read this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-10-28 22:31:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17795972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLegendOfChel/pseuds/TheLegendOfChel
Summary: Everyone knows the legend of Hylia’s chosen hero, a champion reincarnated by the Goddess whenever the world needs him most. Lance never imagined he might be that very hero until a mysterious prince visits him in a dream with a grave message: Hyrule Castle has fallen to the evil king Zarkon, and only Lance can save the kingdom from certain doom.Eager to prove himself, Lance embarks on the adventure of a lifetime, but he soon discovers the real challenge is getting along with his new companion, a grumpy Sheikah warrior named Keith.aka the Legend of Zelda AU nobody asked for





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for checking out this fic! A few quick notes before you get started:
> 
> While this is a Legend of Zelda AU, you don’t need to be super familiar with Zelda to understand it. However, if you want to get a better idea of what certain species/clothes/places look like, a quick google search will help. Stylistically, I definitely had Breath of the Wild in mind.
> 
> This fic isn’t based on a particular game so much as the Zelda lore in general, though it does draw from Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time more than the others. If a location exists in multiple games, such as Zora’s Domain, it’s probably safe to assume I based it on the BotW version.
> 
> I’ve also changed some traits of the denizens of Hyrule to suit the characters. For example, the Gerudo are supposed to all have red hair, but in this fic Allura has her canon hair color. Also the geography is totally different, but that changes in every game anyway so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Enjoy!

 

_“Lance…”_

Lance was dreaming. He knew he was as he looked around, taking in the black inky void filled with nothing but starlight.

_“Lance…”_

His eyes travelled down to examine the water-like surface he stood on. An experimental step created ripples that quickly disappeared into yet more nothingness.

_“Lance…”_

Finally, Lance heard the faint voice calling out to him.

“Hello?” he said cautiously.

Lance looked around once more, but the void was still empty and the voice had gone silent. He was ready to shrug it off when a bright light suddenly burst into existence.

Lance raised a hand to shield his eyes and squinted. He could just barely make out the silhouette of a person.

“Lance,” the figure said once again, a young man judging by his voice. “I’ve been trying to reach you for a long time.”

“Who are you?” Lance asked. His eyes slowly adjusted, but he still had trouble seeing the mysterious man. The most he could distinguish was long white hair and clothes fit for royalty.

“My name is Prince Akira,” the figure replied, unknowingly confirming Lance’s thoughts. “I come asking for your help. Hyrule Castle was attacked by the Dark Lord Zarkon. He has claimed it as his own, and if left to his own devices, his reign of evil will spread across the rest of the world.”

Lance frowned. “And you need my help because…?”

“You are the Goddess’ chosen hero,” the prince replied. “Within you rests the unbreakable spirit of the champions of old.”

“What?” Lance gaped. “That can’t be right. I...I’m nobody. My family owns a dairy farm.”

“Your background is irrelevant. All that matters is your courage and sense of justice.”

“But-”

“We don’t have much time,” the prince interrupted. “Please, go to the inn in Kakariko Village. My attendant will meet you there and offer more guidance.”

“Hey, wait!” Lance reached out a hand toward the prince. The light was already fading, taking Akira with it. “I have questions!”

“All will be explained in time,” the prince said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “Kakariko Village. Don’t forget.”

Lance jolted awake with a gasp, mind still haunted by a soft voice and cascading snow white hair.

\-----

Lance’s family was confused but supportive when he set off the next day. At first, they, like Lance, had been skeptical that his vision was anything more than a dream.

Then, their town received the news that Hyrule Castle had fallen to Lord Zarkon. Their beloved queen was captured or dead, and the crown prince was missing. Zarkon, a powerful sorcerer, had erected a magical barrier around the castle, sealing it away from all outsiders.

So Lance packed his bag, slung his quiver of arrows and bow across his back, and said goodbye to his family.

Before he could mount his faithful horse, Kaltenecker, Lance’s grandmother sluggishly walked out of the house. He had already bid her farewell inside, as she was normally bedridden, and everyone rushed to offer their support.

His grandmother waved them all away and hobbled over to Lance, two familiar items clutched in her frail arms.

“These were your grandfather’s,” she said. “Take them with you on your journey. They will protect you.”

Lance’s eyes welled with tears as he stared down at the proffered items. They weren’t anything grand, a simple steel sword and a shield with the Hylian crest emblazoned on the front, but Lance took them with a reverence befitting priceless antiquities.

Lance had always prefered archery to swordsmanship, but as he strapped the sword and shield to his back and looked at his family’s proud faces, something inside of Lance settled into a feeling of rightness.

\-----

It only took a few days to reach Kakariko. Lance set up Kaltenecker in the local stable and headed into the village inn.

Kakariko was already a fairly populated place due to its proximity to Hyrule Castle, but now it was positively crowded with citizens who had fled Castle Town. Whole families huddled together, some making an effort to help others and some keeping to themselves with wary eyes.

Looking around, Lance realized he had no idea who he was supposed to meet. The prince hadn’t given him any details about his attendant’s appearance. Lance didn’t even know if they were a man or a woman.

“Stupid cryptic prince,” he muttered. “Couldn’t even take two seconds to tell me a name or anything. I thought he was supposed to be wise.”

A throat cleared, and Lance jumped. Flush high on his cheeks, he turned around to see a tall man with an amused quirk to his lips.

“Are you Lance?” the man asked.

Lance nodded.

“Please follow me,” the stranger led Lance down a hallway and into one of the inn’s bedrooms.

Once the door closed behind them, Lance took a moment to examine the other man. He was large and muscular with a streak of white running through his black hair. His clothes were unlike anything Lance had ever seen before, dark and fitted to his body, clearly tailored for stealth. Even now, he seemed to meld into the shadows.

“I am Shiro, of the Sheikah Tribe,” the man said. “On behalf of Prince Akira and myself, I thank you for coming to meet me.”

“Is he here?” Lance asked, his eyes roaming over the room as if expecting the prince to jump out from behind the bed.

Shiro, however, shook his head.

“The prince has gone into hiding for his own protection. I’m his personal attendant and bodyguard,” he offered Lance a small bow. “While I may be a poor substitute, please feel free to ask me anything and I’ll do what I can to answer.”

Though he was disappointed that he wouldn’t get to meet the prince, Lance squared his shoulders and met Shiro’s steady gaze, wanting to make a good impression.

“In my dream, the prince said I was the Goddess’ chosen hero,” Lance bit the inside of his lip as his confidence waned somewhat. “...Is that true?”

Shiro nodded, his eyes kind.

“You’ve heard the legends?” he asked.

Lance nodded. Everyone knew the stories of the heroic champion who saved Hyrule again and again throughout history, reincarnated by the Goddess whenever the world needed him most. Like many children, Lance had pretended he was that very hero reborn, play-fighting his siblings with wooden swords and rescuing damsels in distress in the form of stuffed animals.

But he never imagined that he might be the hero for real.

A warm weight on his shoulder snapped Lance out of his musings, and he looked up to meet Shiro’s smile.

“I know it’s a lot to process, especially on such short notice,” Shiro said. “But the Goddess chose you for a reason, Lance. I have every confidence in you, as does Prince Akira.”

Lance offered Shiro a crooked grin.

“Is he really as beautiful as people say?”

Shiro chuckled, giving Lance’s shoulder one last squeeze before stepping back.

“I’m sure you’ll find that out for yourself some day,” the Sheikah replied. “In the interim, there are more pressing concerns.”

Lance’s smirk faded away and he gave Shiro a serious nod.

“As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Zarkon has sealed himself away in Hyrule Castle,” Shiro said. “In order to defeat him, you will first need to break the barrier.”

“How do I do that?” Lance asked. He had seen the diamond-shaped force field that encased the castle in the distance, but he was no mage and had no idea how to combat such a thing.

“Zarkon’s spell is powerful,” Shiro replied. “Only a magic item of equal or greater power can break it. The royal family once had such an item hundreds of years ago, the Amulet of Oriande, but the king feared that it would fall into the wrong hands. He broke it into seven pieces and scattered them across the world.”

“And you want me to find them?”

Shiro nodded.

“It won’t be easy,” he warned. “Each shard is located in the depths of a temple, many of which hold ancient protections, not to mention the monsters that might be inside.”

“Where can I find these temples?”

“There is one in each of the major areas of Hyrule,” answered Shiro. “The Forest Temple in the Kokiri Forest, the Water Temple in Zora’s Domain, the Fire Temple in Death Mountain, the Snow Temple in the Hebra Mountains, the Shadow Temple near Hateno Village, the Spirit Temple in the Gerudo Desert, and finally, the Sky Temple.”

Lance blinked. When Shiro didn’t say anything else, he arched his eyebrow.

“And the Sky Temple is...where exactly?”

“In the sky,” Shiro said like it was obvious.

“Okay,” Lance frowned, “and how am I supposed to get there?”

“I don’t really know,” the Sheikah admitted, “but I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Right,” Lance said dubiously.

“And you won’t be completely alone,” Shiro added.

“You’re coming with me?” Lance perked up. Though confident in his skills, he wouldn’t mind having a companion, and Shiro seemed both friendly and competent.

However, the Sheikah shook his head, and Lance’s excitement wilted away.

“I have duties elsewhere, I’m afraid,” Shiro explained. “However, my protégé has agreed to assist you whenever he can. He’s a skilled Sheikah warrior and mage, and I’m sure he’ll be of great help to you on your quest.”

Lance perked up again. That didn’t sound too bad.

“It’s getting late,” Shiro observed. “I must return to the prince’s side. Please feel free to use this room for as long as you require.”

Lance nodded. He had a million more questions, but held his tongue. He had enough information to start his journey, and was reasonably sure he could figure the rest out from there.

“Before I go, there’s one last thing,” Shiro reached into his satchel. “Prince Akira wanted you to have these.”

Lance took the first item like it was made of glass. It was a beautiful wooden flute, long and slender, with a thin blue tassel tied to one end, which Lance suspected was both for the aesthetic and so that he could tie the instrument to his belt.

“The Lion’s Flute has been passed down through the royal family for generations,” Shiro said. “It’s said to hold many powers, though what those powers are I’m not sure. But the prince seemed adamant that you have it.”

Lance’s grip became firmer as he gazed down at the polished ebony.

“Thank you,” Lance stood tall and met Shiro’s eyes. “I won’t let him down.”

“Good,” Shiro nodded. “See that you work hard to be worthy of it. And of this.”

The Sheikah presented the second item, a sky blue tunic with white embroidery sewn around the collar, sleeves, and hem.

“This is the Champion’s Tunic,” Shiro said. “It may not look like much, but the fabric is magically enhanced and will protect you as well as any armor.”

Lance’s fingers ran over the soft yet sturdy cloth, his eyes bright with awe, and a confident grin spread across his face.

He always had looked good in blue.

\-----

Getting to the first temple was actually pretty easy. Lance decided the best option was to start with Death Mountain since it was so close to Kakariko.

It also had one other advantage.

“Lance!” Hunk crushed him in a strong embrace. “It’s been too long! How’ve you been, brother?”

“Hunk,” Lance gasped. “Can’t breath.”

Most people thought it strange that Lance’s best friend was a Goron, but Lance wouldn’t change it for the world. The rock people were friendly in general, but Hunk took kindness to a whole other level.

“Oops, sorry,” Hunk set Lance back down and patted his back with a bit too much force. “So what brings you to Death Mountain? You usually only visit in the winter.”

“Yeah, about that…”

And so Lance explained about the prince’s message and his supposed destiny.

“Woah,” Hunk said once he was done. “I’ve heard the legends, but I never thought the Goddess’ chosen hero would appear in my lifetime.”

“I’m still processing it, honestly,” Lance admitted. “I always dreamed that one day I would become a knight and save the kingdom, but this was all so sudden, y’know?”

A heavy hand gripped Lance’s shoulder and he looked up to meet Hunk’s compassionate gaze.

“Lance,” he said seriously, “I’ve known you since we were kids. If anyone can restore peace to Hyrule, it’s you.”

Lance’s doubt subsided somewhat as he returned the Goron’s smile.

“Thanks, Hunk,” he said. “That means a lot, buddy.”

“Any time, brother,” Hunk crossed his arms. “So, what can I do to help you save the world?”

“I’m supposed to find a piece of a magical artifact in the Fire Temple.”

“The Fire Temple is located in the heart of Death Mountain,” Hunk hummed. “Since you’re not a Goron, you’ll need special gear to survive. It is a volcano, after all.”

While the Champion’s Tunic had magic, Lance doubted it would protect him from lava, so he nodded and followed Hunk to one of the shops in Goron City. Once they got there, however, they ran into a problem.

“Sold out?” Lance repeated.

“I’m afraid so, brother,” the shopkeep said.

“Well, when will they be back in stock?”

The Goron absentmindedly scratched his stomach with a hum.

“Fireproof tunics are made to order, so we usually just whip one up when someone requests it,” he said, “but a few weeks ago, a horde of Dodongos infested the cavern where we normally get the materials.”

Lance perked up.

“So if I get rid of the Dodongos, you can make me one?”

“Sure,” the Goron nodded. “But do you think you can do it? Even one Dodongo is dangerous, and you’re just a little guy.”

Lance grinned.

\-----

The next day, a slightly charred but cheerful Lance held his new clothing up to the light to admire it. It didn’t look or feel like anything other than an ordinary red tunic, but the shopkeeper had assured him it would protect him from the heat of the volcano.

“So,” Hunk said, “now that you’ve got your gear, are you gonna head to the Fire Temple?”

Lance nodded and shoved the tunic into his pouch.

“I will soon, yeah. But first,” he shot his friend a grin, “we should hang out a bit. You wanna shield surf down the mountain?”

“It’s too dangerous to do that outside of winter,” Hunk said apologetically.

Lance’s excitement deflated.

“But the Goron Mines are open,” Hunk added.

“Goron Mines?” Lance perked right back up. “What’s that?’

\-----

“Woohoo!” Lance yelled as the mining cart raced at breakneck speed.

He leaned left and right with the track to go even faster and let out a joyful whoop every time the cart jumped across a gap.

Finally, he pulled back into the station where the supervising Goron waited.

“You completed the course in one minute and forty-seven seconds,” he reported cheerfully. “A new personal record! Congratulations, brother! Would you like to try it again? If you can do it in under a minute and thirty seconds, you’ll get a special prize.”

Lance grinned and dug into his wallet.

\-----

Armed with his new magical red tunic, Lance walked into the volcano.

As he made his way to the Fire Temple’s entrance, a beautiful melody strummed through the air. Lance followed the sound to spot a figure sitting atop the temple’s roof, their fingers dancing nimbly across the strings of a small harp.

The song came to an end and the figure leapt down to land gracefully in front of Lance. He appeared to be a young man, slightly shorter than Lance, wearing dark clothes that hugged his lithe frame. A long scarf wrapped loosely around his neck and covered his inky black hair like a hood, and a thin layer of cloth masked the lower half of his face, leaving only his large dark eyes uncovered. Emblazoned in crimson upon his chest was a large eye shedding a single teardrop; the symbol of the Sheikah Tribe.

This must be the protégé Shiro mentioned. Lance opened his mouth to greet him.

“You’re late,” the Sheikah said before Lance could even speak.

Lance blinked and shut his mouth with a click, eyebrows drawing together.

“Uh, sorry?” Lance replied. “I had to help the Gorons with some stuff before I could get here.”

“You defeated the Dodongos two days ago,” the man crossed his arms. Though Lance couldn’t see most of his face, he was pretty sure the Sheikah was scowling.

Lance crossed his own arms in retaliation.

“How do you know that?” Lance demanded as he took an aggressive step forward. “Have you been spying on me?”

“I’ve been _monitoring_ you to make sure you’re doing your job,” the ninja stepped closer as well.

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Sure, after taking an entire day to galavant around the Goron Mines.”

“It was just a few games!”

“Hyrule is in great danger! We don’t have time for you to play games!”

By this point, Lance and the Sheikah were toe to toe, foreheads nearly touching as they glared at each other. Lance tried not to get distracted from his anger by the fact that the Sheikah’s eyes were not gray as he initially thought, but rather a stunning violet.

They continued to stare each other down, neither willing to admit defeat. Finally, Lance leaned back to sneer down his nose at the other man.

“If you’re so concerned about time, maybe you should step aside so I can go into the temple already.”

The Sheikah narrowed his eyes, but after a moment took a step back.

“Fine,” he said shortly. “But first I have to teach you a song.”

Lance blinked.

“What?”

“Did you think I only showed up to reprimand you?”

“Uh...kind of?”

The Sheikah sent Lance a withering look and reached behind himself to grab his harp from where it was strapped to his back.

“Listen carefully,” he ordered.

Slender fingers plucked a simple yet memorable tune. Though the song consisted only of a handful of notes, it struck something deep within Lance, as though a roaring fire had ignited in his chest.

“Your turn,” the Sheikah said, snapping Lance out of his daze.

“Huh?”

“Play the melody.”

“I don’t...What?”

The Sheikah rolled his eyes with a sigh.

“The prince gave you the Lion’s Flute,” he said slowly, as if Lance were a child. “Use it to play the song I just showed you.”

Lance bristled at the patronizing tone but obediently untied the instrument from his belt. He brought it to his lips and hesitated.

“I...don’t actually know how to play the flute,” he admitted.

“Don’t worry, it’s a very simple song.”

“But-”

“Lance,” the Sheikah pinched the bridge of his nose, “it’s magic, remember? You’ll be fine. Just do it.”

Lance eyed the flute skeptically but raised it to his lips and blew.

The Sheikah must have known what he was talking about after all, because Lance suddenly knew exactly what to do. Strong notes whistled through the cavern as he played the song perfectly. Delicate strums soon joined in as the Sheikah turned the solo performance into a duet.

Once the final note faded, Lance held the flute aloft to stare at it in wonder. Maybe it was his imagination, but he could swear the instrument glimmered faintly with magic.

“This song acts as a teleportation spell,” the Sheikah explained. “Should you ever want to return to this temple, just play it on your flute and no matter where you are it will bring you back here.”

“Oh, uh, neat,” Lance said. “Thanks.”

The Sheikah rolled his eyes again but didn’t comment on his less than eloquent response.

“Once you’re done with the Fire Temple, I recommend visiting the Water Temple next,” he said. “Zora’s Domain isn’t too far from here.”

Lance nodded.

The Sheikah turned to leave, but Lance said, “Wait! What’s your name?”

The Sheikah paused.

“...Keith,” he finally replied.

Before Lance could say another word, Keith threw something at the ground to create a flash of light. Lance instinctively shielded his eyes, and when he opened them a second later, Keith was already gone.

Lance looked around, but there was no sign of the mysterious Sheikah.

With a sigh, Lance adjusted the strap of his shield, drew his sword, and walked into the Fire Temple.

\-----

‘Well, that wasn’t so bad,’ Lance thought as he exited the temple, Amulet shard tucked safely in his pouch.

The dungeon itself had been kind of fun despite the monster infestation, and Lance had found a magic hammer that was a blast to swing around. The dragon he had to fight at the end had been a tough opponent, but once he defeated it, a jewel-like heart materialized before Lance that healed his wounds and left him feeling stronger than ever.

With renewed energy, Lance mounted Kaltenecker and rode to his next destination.

\-----

Excitement bubbled in Lance’s chest as he walked through Zora’s Domain. Though he’d met a handful of Zora in the past, Lance had never had the opportunity to visit the aquatic people’s home.

It really was very pretty, with sparkling waterfalls and sleek architecture chiseled from pale stone, all built over an enormous lake. Where Goron City had been cheerful and robust, Zora’s Domain was soothing and delicate.

Lance immediately loved it.

But as much as he wanted to explore the city, Lance knew time was of the essence, so he quickly located someone to ask about getting to the Water Temple.

“Only the queen can grant someone access to the temple,” said Plaxum, a pretty Zora who Lance may or may not have flirted with more than strictly necessary.

“Well, could I go ask her then?”

“I’m afraid now’s not a good time,” Plaxum shook her head. “The other day, a thief stole Queen Luxia’s magic gem, and we’ve had no luck getting it back. The queen is distraught and refuses to see anyone until it is returned.”

“Hmm,” Lance placed his hands on his hips. “What can you tell me about this thief?”

\-----

“Thank you, young Hylian,” Queen Luxia said, “for retrieving one of our most sacred artifacts.”

Lance grinned as he stood before the Zora Queen’s throne.

“It was no trouble, your highness,” he replied.

And it really wasn’t. Lance had tracked the thief back to Kakariko, only to find out they had already sold it to an unwitting merchant. The merchant wasn’t really at fault, so Lance bought the gem back. Luckily, he still had a few hundred rupees that he’d won in the Goron Mines. Take that, Keith.

“In return for your good deed, please accept this reward,” Luxia said.

The queen gave Lance a bracelet made from a thin silver chain. Lance held it up and admired the large blue scale attached to it, shining iridescently in the light.

“This is one of my own scales,” Luxia continued. “With it, you will be able to breathe underwater, which will prove invaluable in the temple.”

Eyes lighting up, Lance slipped the bracelet on and bowed.

“Thank you, your highness.”

\-----

As it turned out, Lance needed the Zora’s Scale just to get to the Water Temple, which was located at the very bottom of Lake Hylia.

Before he could dive in, however, Lance caught sight of a familiar hooded figure waiting for him on the pier.

Even at a distance, Lance could sense the irritation rolling off the Sheikah in waves. He walked over with a resigned sigh.

“You’re late,” Keith said before Lance could so much as open his mouth. “Again.”

“I don’t know what you want from me, man,” Lance scowled. “All I did was what was necessary to help the Zora and get access to this temple.”

“Oh?” Keith arched an eyebrow. “And was going on a date ‘necessary’ to your quest?”

Lance flushed. After receiving the queen’s scale, Plaxum had invited Lance to have dinner with her. Lance, of course, had agreed.

“What?” Lance sniffed haughtily. “Jealous?”

He doubted Keith had ever been on a date in his life, let alone one as nice as Lance’s.

The Sheikah swept his gaze up and down Lance and said flatly, “Of what?”

Ouch.

“Tch, whatever,” Lance scowled and looked away from those judgemental violet eyes. “Just take out your dumb little harp and teach me the song, or whatever you’re here to do.”

It was the Sheikah’s turn to sputter with indignation.

“Dumb little harp?” he repeated furiously. “The Goddess’ Harp is a sacred tool entrusted to me by Hylia herself. It has powers you couldn’t even begin to imagine.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re all very impressed,” Lance said blithely as he flapped a hand at the Sheikah’s increasingly red face. “You gonna use it or are you just gonna complain about me some more?”

For a moment Lance thought Keith might actually turn around and leave, but instead the Sheikah merely closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started playing.

Lance felt his own antagonistic feelings wash away under the calming melody. Taking a deep breath as well, he brought the Lion’s Flute to his lips and accompanied Keith’s serenade.

Once the song was over, Lance stared into Keith’s cool eyes. Head clearer, Lance wondered if he ought to apologize to Keith, but before he could make a decision, Keith threw a flashbang at the ground.

By the time Lance recovered, the Sheikah had vanished once again.

With a sigh, the hero dove into the lake.

\-----

“Get back here, you little twerp!”

A faint snicker echoed through the trees, mocking Lance as he chased it through the maze-like vegetation.

When Lance had first entered Kokiri Forest and stumbled across one of its elusive inhabitants, he had approached cautiously, afraid of accidentally spooking the forest child.

“Um, excuse me?”

The child, who Lance thought was a she but still wasn’t entirely sure, looked up at him with big amber eyes. She sat cross-legged on a tree stump, fiddling with what appeared to be a small pile of garbage. Screws, bits of wire, and pieces of colored glass were cobbled together to create...something, but Lance didn’t have the slightest clue what it was supposed to be.

Deciding it wasn’t important, Lance turned his attention back to the Kokiri.

“Hi,” he greeted. “I’m looking for the Forest Temple. Think you could help me?”

The child adjusted her large spectacles as she peered up at Lance suspiciously.

“Who’s asking?”

“The name’s Lance,” he flashed her a grin. “I’m on a quest to save Hyrule!”

“Uh huh,” she said flatly, “and I’m the Great Deku Tree.”

Lance didn’t know what a Deku Tree was, but he knew when he was being mocked.

“I’m serious,” he scowled. “Prince Akira himself asked for my help.”

To his surprise, the Kokiri snorted.

“The prince? Ask for help?” she smirked. “Now I know you’re lying.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lance demanded. “Everyone knows Prince Akira is as gracious as he is wise.”

At this, the Kokiri burst out laughing and nearly toppled from the stump, her fairy companion bobbing around her head in delight. Lance tapped his foot impatiently as the laughter finally subsided.

“Oh man,” she giggled. “That was the funniest thing I’ve heard in awhile.”

“Are you done?” Lance grumbled.

She nodded, one last chuckle escaping from her lips.

“Good. Now will you help me out?”

“Hmmm,” the Kokiri rubbed her chin. “I still don’t entirely believe you, but since you made me laugh, I guess I can give you a hand. The Lost Woods will take care of you if you’re lying anyway.”

Lance blinked. “Wait, what?”

“Follow me!”

In the blink of an eye, the child swept all her knick-knacks into her pocket, jumped to her feet, and raced off at the speed of light. Lance scrambled to follow and quickly found himself in a dense area of the woods.

Losing sight of the Kokiri, Lance slowed to a halt. Eyes alert, he turned in a circle, trying to see beyond the haze of fog that had appeared out of nowhere.

“Over here!”

Lance spun and dashed toward the voice. Just as he thought he could make out the Kokiri’s faint silhouette, it vanished once again.

“This way, this way!” the voice shouted from yet another direction.

Lance growled under his breath and moved toward it. Following her taunts, his irritation grew as it became increasingly obvious she was messing with him. Before Lance knew it, he was running through the brush at full speed.

“Get back here, you little twerp!”

Despite his frustration, as Lance continued to chase the Kokiri girl through the woods, the hot rage in his chest began to give way to something lighter, something more bubbly.

He was having fun.

Finally, the hero tore through a wall of vines and fell into an open clearing. On his hands and knees, Lance looked up in awe at the entrance to the Forest Temple.

“Huh, guess you weren’t lying after all.”

Lance whipped his head around to find the Kokiri standing next to him. Under her sly gaze, he picked himself up of the ground and patted the dirt from his clothes.

“Told you so,” Lance sniffed.

“Not many can make it through the Lost Woods,” she acknowledged. “Most end up stuck and turn into Stalfos.”

Lance grimaced. He’d fought his fair share of the skeleton monsters and learning how they were made did not make them any less creepy.

“Well, best of luck,” she turned on her heels and started walking toward the vine wall.

“Hey, wait,” Lance said. “You never told me your name.”

She twisted back around and grinned.

“I’m Pidge,” she jerked a thumb at her fairy, “and this is Rover.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lance smiled back. “And thanks.”

Pidge shrugged and spun around once more.

“Come play again some time,” she called over her shoulder. “Us Kokiri can’t leave the forest, so it gets kinda boring after awhile.”

With one last wave, she slipped through the vines and out of sight.

Lance chuckled and turned back toward the temple only to come face-to-face with a pair of violet eyes inches away from his own.

“Gah!” Lance jumped back. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

Keith stared back at him cooly.

“You’re-”

“Late, yeah, yeah, I know,” Lance flapped his hand at the Sheikah. “But it totally wasn’t my fault this time! Nobody I talked to could give me directions to Kokiri Forest so I had to wander around the area until I found it.”

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“Whatever,” he muttered, “let’s just get this over with.”

The Sheikah grabbed his harp, and Lance frowned.

“Oh, gee, I’m sorry it’s such an imposition that you have to meet me at every temple,” Lance snarked. “If you hate it so much, why don’t you just teach me all the songs at once?”

Keith scowled.

“I can’t just give you the songs, you have to earn them!” he snapped.

“Says who?!”

“Says the Goddess Hylia!”

The two stared each other down before Lance scoffed and looked away.

“Just teach me the song already.”

Keith’s eyes narrowed but his fingers began to pluck their tune. Lance felt some of his anger ebb as the melody evoked an image of smiling forest children dancing and laughing. Lance pulled out the Lion’s Flute and they harmonized the minuet.

The song came to an end but when Keith didn’t disappear right away like the previous times, Lance raised his eyebrows.

“Yes?” he prompted.

Keith put away his harp and crossed his arms.

“There’s one more thing,” he sighed. “I have a message for you from Prince Akira.”

Lance perked up.

“What is it?”

“Once you complete the Forest Temple, there’s something you should do before heading for the next shard.”

“What’s that?”

Keith pinned Lance with a heavy stare.

“Have you ever heard of the Master Sword?”

\-----

Lance cursed under his breath as he navigated through the Lost Woods once again, but this time without the help of a mischievous Kokiri.

The Forest Temple had been surprisingly easy, and Lance almost wished he had done it first. Not to mention he’d found a fantastic new bow that was made with the finest craftsmanship he’d ever seen. Saving all of Hyrule would be worth it if he got to keep that bow afterwards.

But before he could save the kingdom, Lance had to find the magic sword Prince Akira claimed Lance needed if he wanted to defeat Zarkon.

With a groan, Lance crouched down on the grass and hung his head low. He’d been wandering for what felt like hours, and he was pretty sure he’d just gone in a big circle. That rock definitely looked familiar.

Rubbing his temples, Lance paused and his eyes snapped open.

Was that...music?

Lance strained his ears and sure enough, there was the faintest sound of a jaunty melody playing in the distance. Figuring it was as good a bet as any, the hero followed the notes, winding through the trees until he finally found himself in a clearing similar to the one that housed the Forest Temple.

This clearing, however, did not have any buildings or monsters or even an annoying Sheikah. Just grass and flowers and vines that looked like they’d been growing for hundreds of years.

And in the very center, embedded in a stone pedestal, was the Master Sword.

\-----

Shiro had assured Lance he would be able to figure out how to get to the Sky Temple, but as far as Lance was concerned, it happened through pure dumb luck.

At a bit of a loss as to where to go next, the hero used the song Keith taught him to warp back to Death Mountain and see if he could find any leads in Kakariko Village.

And maybe, while he was at it, try out that archery game he’d spotted the last time he was there. He was running a bit low on money, and the prize for getting a perfect score was a quiver much larger than the one he currently had.

Wallet full and arrow capacity increased, Lance returned to the task at hand. Unfortunately, no one he talked to knew anything about a temple in the sky. Most merely looked at him like he was crazy, and Lance quickly found himself losing hope.

Discouraged, he sat at the bar of the local tavern and tried to drown his sorrows with a glass of Chateau Romani. Before he was even halfway done, someone behind him tapped Lance on the shoulder.

“Excuse me,” they said, “are you the one who’s been asking about a temple in the sky?”

Lance turned around to see a young man a few years older than him with sandy blonde hair and amber eyes that strangely reminded him of the Kokiri girl, Pidge.

“Yeah,” Lance nodded. “Do you know something about it?”

The young man glanced around before hopping onto the stool next to Lance, a conspiratorial grin on his face.

“You might not believe this,” he said, “but I have been waiting my entire life to hear those words.”

He introduced himself as Matt and claimed to be a researcher studying the legends of the sky folk.

“Most people don’t believe they really existed,” he explained. “They think the legends are just myths. But I’ve found evidence that Hylians really did live above the clouds thousands of years ago!”

“Wow,” Lance said. “Do you think some of them are still up there?”

“It’s possible,” Matt shrugged, “though it’s more likely that they all moved to the surface eventually. If the floating island still exists, which I’m almost certain it does, it’s probably been abandoned for millenia.”

“And the Sky Temple is on this island?”

“That’s what the texts suggest,” Matt nodded. His grin slipped away and he hunched his shoulders with a sigh. “If only there was a way to know for sure.”

“There isn’t?”

“If you know how to fly hundreds of feet in the air, let me know,” Matt replied wryly. “It would make my job a lot easier, and then maybe the other historians would respect me.”

Lance frowned. Surely there was a way.

“How did the sky folk travel back and forth?”

“They rode giant birds called Loftwings, but no one’s seen one in centuries,” Matt said. “A shame, really. They were said to be magnificent creatures. Horses are great and all, but can you imagine being able to fly?”

Lance hummed in agreement.

“And nothing in your research talks about another way to get to the Sky Temple?”

“Well,” Matt scratched his chin, “I did stumble across one artifact that mentioned the temple a little while ago, but I wasn’t able to decipher it. Something about the ‘Unbreakable Spirit of the Lion’s Song,’ I think?”

Matt jumped when Lance slammed his now empty glass onto the bar, his blue eyes sparkling as he leaned closer.

“Where exactly did you find this artifact?”

\-----

Lance followed Matt’s directions to a huge cliff that overlooked the ocean. At the very edge stood a slab of stone covered in scripture.

The text was cracked and faded with age, and Lance’s Ancient Hylian was rusty to say the least, but he did manage to pick out the words for “Lion,” “Hero,” and “Song.” Below the words, someone had carved a handful of musical notes.

“Well, here goes nothing,” Lance muttered.

He raised the Lion’s Flute to his lips and blew. As the notes washed over him, Lance almost felt like he was flying.

The song ended and nothing happened. After awhile, Lance was about to warp back to Kakariko and try to squeeze more information out of Matt when a birdlike trill suddenly rang through the air.

Lance looked up and grinned.

\-----

Lance let out a loud whoop as he soared across the sky on the back of the Loftwing. Spotting a large island floating above the clouds, he directed the giant bird towards it and soon touched down on a patch of soft grass.

Lance gave the crimson feathers a fond pat and walked inland to the heart of the island. After about fifteen minutes, he arrived at his destination and stared up in awe. Although this was the fourth temple he had come across, it was just as unique and beautiful as the previous ones.

“About time you showed up.”

Lance whipped around, drawing the Master Sword from its sheath, to meet a familiar pair of violet eyes.

“Oh,” Lance said, “it’s you again. Let me guess, you’re here to teach me a magical song and then mysteriously disappear?”

The Sheikah warrior stared back, unimpressed.

“I’ve been waiting for you for three days.”

“Sorry,” Lance shrugged, sliding his blade back into its scabbard. “I got a little sidetracked.”

“By what? Playing games for rupees?”

“No,” Lance lied.

Keith’s scowl was obvious even behind the cloth that hid the lower half of his face.

“You need to take this seriously,” he snarled. “I’ve reached every single temple so far well before you have without even trying.”

“Well if you’re so great, why don’t you do the dungeon yourself?” Lance snapped.

“Believe me,” Keith crossed his arms, “if I could, I would. But the Goddess was very clear. Only the chosen hero can complete the trials, and that’s you.”

“Yeah, it is,” Lance raised his chin, “so how about you stop criticizing me all the time and let me do my damn job?”

“I wouldn’t need to criticize you,” Keith said through gritted teeth, “if you stuck to your mission. But no, you keep getting _distracted_ by stupid games and running random errands for anyone who asks. At the rate you’re going, by the time you get to the last temple there won’t be a Hyrule left to save.”

“Well…” Lance paused. “Why don’t you just come with me?”

“I already told you, I’m not allowed in the dungeons-”

“No, no, I mean like,” Lance rubbed his chin, “travel with me in between temples. You’re always mad because you think I take too long to reach them, right? And you obviously know the quickest routes. If you were with me I bet we’d get there faster and you wouldn’t have to wait around for me anymore because we’d arrive at the same time.”

Keith stared at Lance blankly. When a few seconds passed and he still didn’t respond, Lance sighed and turned to enter the Sky Temple.

“Look, just think about it, alright? I’m gonna go complete this dungeon, and if you’re still here when I get out, great. If not, no hard feelings.”

As the doors closed behind him, Lance told himself he would be fine with whatever Keith decided. And he would be.

But a small part of him hoped Keith would still be waiting there when he got back.

\-----

Lance tried to catch his breath as the dungeon boss’ blackened remains crumbled to nothingness. It had been his toughest battle by far, but victory sang in his blood, leaving him stronger and more confident than ever.

With a grin, Lance picked up the heart container and let out a relieved sigh as it healed his wounds and added to his vitality.

Once the heart container disappeared, he collected the Amulet shard and stepped into the ring of light that whisked him away to the temple entrance.

There was no sign of Keith.

Lance pursed his lips, unsurprised but disappointed all the same.

He made his way back to where the Crimson Loftwing still waited for him and flew back down to the surface. After bidding the bird farewell and retrieving Kaltenecker from the stable, Lance set off towards the Hebra Mountains.

“You’re going the wrong way.”

Startled, Lance yanked on Kaltenecker’s reins a little too sharply, while his head snapped around to see Keith leaning casually against a tree.

“What are you doing here?” Lance ignored the Sheikah’s smirk as he patted his mare’s neck in apology.

Keith shrugged and pushed off the tree to walk closer.

“I thought about what you said,” he replied, “and you make a good point. It’ll be more efficient if we travel together.”

“Oh?” Lance grinned. “So you’re actually agreeing with me for once?”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Keith scoffed. “You clearly need my help more than I thought. You do know the Hebra Mountains are to the northwest, right?”

Lance grumbled under his breath but waited patiently as Keith rented a horse from the stable. The Sheikah pointedly directed the ivory steed toward a different path than where Lance was headed and cantered off with a flick of his reins.

Lance rolled his eyes but followed without a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally wrote this as one long single-chaptered fic, but my beta suggested splitting it into more palatable sections, which I thought was a good idea. Unfortunately, that meant Keith wasn't in this chapter much, but don't worry, there'll be plenty of klance going forward now that he's joined Lance as his companion.
> 
> The whole fic is already done, so you won't have to wait long for the rest! There will be three chapters in total, and the next one should be up in a couple of days.
> 
> If you're enjoying it so far, please subscribe and don't be afraid to leave a comment/kudos/bookmark! :)
> 
> See you soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a mighty need for art of Sheikah Keith, so I just made it myself lol. I'm working one for Lance too, which I'll put in the next chapter. If you're reading this in the future, there should be a version with them side by side in the first chapter as well.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy some Klance fluff~

 

The journey up to the Snow Temple was...a bit touch and go for awhile.

Keith got mad every time Lance stopped to examine a suspicious wall of rock or hookshot up to a target high in the trees in the hopes of uncovering treasure. This, of course, made Lance even more determined to blow up every craggy spot he saw.

Still, they were making pretty good time, and the lush green trees became sparser as the climate grew colder. They stopped every night and set up camp to eat, sleep, and huddle by the campfire.

Well, Lance ate. Keith just sat nearby and sharpened his knife or idly strummed a melody on his harp. Every time Lance offered some of his dinner, Keith refused. It was odd, but Lance shrugged it off. For all he knew, Sheikah didn’t need to eat.

As he tore into the skewer of meat from the boar he hunted earlier, Lance studied Keith out of the corner of his eye. Whenever they had met in the past, Keith always seemed to show up, teach Lance his magic song, and then disappear before Lance could even blink.

Now, however, he was stuck with Lance, and the hero figured he might as well use the opportunity to get to know the mysterious Sheikah.

“So are knives like, your thing?”

Maybe he should have thought this out more before opening his mouth.

The whetstone paused mid stroke and Keith glanced up with a flat, “What?”

Lance shrugged and flapped a hand in Keith’s general direction.

“I dunno, you just seem to have a lot of them.”

Through surreptitious reconnaissance, Lance had determined Keith carried at least seven knives on his person at all times; two kunai strapped to the outside of each thigh, a slim dagger tucked into his boot, another even slimmer blade hidden under his hood disguised as a hair pin, and of course, the knife he kept sheathed at the small of his back that he was currently sharpening.

Not to mention how Keith seemed to procure an infinite amount of throwing knives out of thin air whenever they encountered an enemy. Lance assumed he used magic since Lance wasn’t sure where the Sheikah would otherwise hide them in his form-fitting outfit.

Keith leveled an unimpressed look at him and said, “I like to be prepared. We can’t all be blessed with the Blade of Evil’s Bane, after all.”

Lance frowned but decided to be the bigger man and let the comment slide.

“Is that one special or something?” Lance nodded at the knife in Keith’s hand. “You treat it differently than the others.”

Keith blinked, probably taken aback by Lance’s amazing observational skills. He looked down at the weapon in question.

“It’s a family heirloom,” he finally said. “It contains great magic, but...I’m still working on unlocking all of its abilities.”

“Magic like your harp?”

Keith shook his head.

“Different types of magic. The Goddess’ Harp is powerful, but it’s not really suited for direct combat. That’s why I rely on other methods to fight enemies,” he said. “Knives suit my fighting style best, but I’m also familiar with other weapons.”

Lance perked up.

“Like what?”

Keith eyed him warily but answered.

“I’m well-versed in swordplay and archery, though I usually prefer close-range combat.”

“We should totally spar!” Lance grinned. “I’m pretty confident in my archery skills, but I wouldn’t mind honing my sword technique a little more, especially now that I’ve got this,” he patted the Master Sword’s hilt lovingly. “She deserves nothing but the best, after all.”

Keith blinked at Lance again. After a moment, he glanced back down and resumed sharpening his knife.

“I won’t go easy on you,” he warned.

Lance beamed and set about making another meat skewer.

\-----

Keith, it turned out, wasn’t lying. After purchasing a traveler’s sword in the next town they passed through, he met Lance’s challenge head on.

Though perhaps not quite to the same extent as the bow, Lance had always been naturally skilled with a sword, and his recent adventures had only improved those skills. Thus, it was a fair assessment to say Lance was one of the best swordsmen in all of Hyrule.

Keith wiped the floor with him.

Keith, wielding a generic sword he’d paid twenty rupees for, soundly beat Lance, hero chosen by the Goddess and wielder of a magic blade said to have vanquished countless evils.

As Keith stood over Lance in victory, he looked down at the Hylian as though waiting to see his reaction, perhaps expecting Lance to storm off in a huff or accuse the Sheikah of cheating.

Instead, Lance got back up to his feet, retrieved the Master Sword from where it had fallen, and settled back into position.

“Again,” he said, fiery determination in his gut.

Keith studied him for a moment before something like approval grew in his eyes.

Lance didn’t win the next match, or even the following five matches, but he steadily learned and improved.

And perhaps his commitment and willingness to listen to Keith’s advice helped show the Sheikah that Lance really was serious about being a hero after all, because as time went on, Keith began to act much less antagonistic towards him. By the time they reached a quaint little town called Coldsnap Hollow near the peak of the Hebra Mountains, Keith and Lance were almost civil.

“The Snow Temple is said to be hidden within one of the many caves inside the Hebra Mountains,” Keith explained. “We should ask the villagers if they know where the entrance is.”

They ended up asking a young woman named Selmie.

“Sure, I know how to get to the Snow Temple,” she said. “I can give you directions, if you’d like. I’d take you there myself, but I can’t risk leaving the village right now.”

“Why not?” Lance asked.

“A White-Maned Lynel recently claimed a nearby grove as its territory,” she grimaced. “Everyone is terrified that it will attack Coldsnap Hollow, so anyone who can fight has to stay and protect the village.”

“Why don’t you all just leave?”

“We might have to eventually,” she admitted, “but this is our home, and we’ll defend it for as long as we can. We would have asked for soldiers from Hyrule Castle to come help us, but after Zarkon…”

Keith’s eyes darkened and he looked at Lance. Though the Sheikah didn’t speak, Lance could tell from his expression that he wanted to help the people of Coldsnap, even if it meant taking on a Lynel all by himself.

Lance was of a similar mindset and nodded before turning back to Selmie.

“Where can we find this Lynel?”

\-----

The next few days passed in a blur.

The White-Maned Lynel was the toughest opponent Lance had faced to date, even stronger than the dungeon bosses, and Lance had never been so thankful that Keith had joined him.

Though they had fought monsters together during their travels, fighting the Lynel was a completely different experience than clearing out a camp of Bokoblins. Even so, Keith and Lance found their rhythm surprisingly quickly, and worked together to defeat the beast.

Afterwards, they returned to Coldsnap Hollow and Selmie happily took them to the Snow Temple. Keith taught Lance a new song and Lance completed the dungeon.

As dusk bathed the sky in an orange light that reflected prettily off the snow, they walked back to the village.

To thank them for defeating the monster, the people of Coldsnap threw a small but festive celebration. Lance loved it. He danced, he ate, and he chatted with every person he could.

Keith, to no one’s surprise, was not a party person. At first he had reluctantly stuck by Lance’s side, but then Lance got pulled into a dance and when he returned the young Sheikah was gone.

After some searching, Lance finally spotted a shadow perched on top of the tallest hut’s roof, one leg dangling over the edge. His eyes flitted between Keith and the merry villagers before making a decision.

He wrapped a handful of pastries in a napkin and stuffed them into his pouch, then shimmied up the side of the building. It took some scrabbling, as the walls were covered with snow and ice, but eventually Lance made it to the roof and sat down next to Keith.

“Hey,” he greeted. “Taking a break from the crowds?”

Keith shrugged, dark eyes brooding.

“I felt restless,” he muttered. “We should be on our way to the next temple, not sitting around.”

“Come on, man, loosen up a little,” Lance said. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning, but for now just enjoy the party these nice people threw for us.”

Keith glanced down at the happy villagers and his eyes softened.

“They did work hard to put this together so quickly,” he acknowledged.

Lance dug out the bundle of pastries and shoved it into Keith’s hands.

“Here, try these! They’re delicious.”

Keith eyed the food dubiously but reached up to remove the cloth mask that covered his nose and mouth so he could take a bite.

Chewing, the Sheikah let out a small pleased noise.

“It’s pretty good,” he agreed. When no response came, Keith looked over at his companion.

“Lance?” Keith blinked. “Is something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, no, nothing,” Lance replied.

Keith hummed and returned to his treat.

Meanwhile, Lance was having a crisis.

This was the first time he had ever seen Keith’s face. Though they had travelled together for a few weeks now, Keith always waited until Lance was busy to eat or drink. Lance found it odd of course, but then Keith was a weird guy, so he shrugged it off.

Lance wasn’t sure what had changed, but apparently Keith now trusted him enough to show him his face.

And oh Hylia, what a face.

Lance already knew Keith had gorgeous eyes. He saw them up close and personal the very first time they met. And sure, in the dead of night when he was trying to go to sleep, sometimes Lance imagined Keith must have a gorgeous face to match, but now actually seeing it…

Lance idly wondered if the fairy he kept bottled inside his pouch would revive him should he pass out.

“I think I owe you an apology.”

Lance blinked as Keith’s voice brought him back to the present.

“Huh?”

Keith bit his perfect lip as he picked at the remains of his pastry.

“I know I’ve been hard on you,” he said.

“Oh…” Lance rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Keith said firmly. “I’ve been in a bad place ever since Zarkon’s attack, and I took it out on you. It wasn’t fair, and I’m sorry.”

Lance studied Keith’s huddled figure.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” he asked hesitantly.

Keith shrugged. Lance scooted a bit closer and gently placed a hand on the Sheikah’s back, hoping he wasn’t about to get stabbed for overstepping his boundaries.

To Lance’s surprise, Keith leaned slightly into the touch and sighed.

“I guess I’m just frustrated,” he finally said. “I’ve been training my whole life to protect this kingdom. To perform the duty I was born to do. But then, when Zarkon attacked,” Keith crushed the paper napkin in his hand, “I was useless.”

Lance rubbed soothing circles across the Sheikah’s back.

“I’m sure you did everything you could.”

“Of course I did!” Keith snapped. “And it still wasn’t enough. The castle fell. Zarkon used some kind of dark magic to turn anyone who stood against him into stone, including the queen. It was all I could do to escape with my life.”

Lance watched as Keith began to tear the napkin into tiny shreds.

“As soon as I recovered from my injuries, I wanted to march right back into the castle and kill Zarkon myself,” Keith continued. “But by then, Zarkon had conjured his barrier, and we couldn’t get inside without the Amulet of Oriande. And to get the Amulet, we needed Hylia’s chosen champion. You.”

The Sheikah shot Lance a look.

“You can imagine why I didn’t like the idea of having to rely on someone I’d never met. For all I knew, you couldn’t even use a sword.”

“As much as I’d like to be mad, I can’t say I blame you,” Lance chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Before Prince Akira came to me in a dream, I was just a normal guy who worked on my family’s farm.”

“That’s another reason I was reluctant to call upon you. Not because of your background,” he added hastily at Lance’s frown, “but because of what you’d have to do. I’ve trained my whole life to protect Hyrule, so I was prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to do so. You just got thrown in without warning.”

“Well, it was a shock,” Lance admitted. “But I can’t say I regret it or anything. Sure, my life got turned upside down and I’ve faced more dangers in these past few weeks than I have my entire life, but...” Lance shrugged, “it’s also been kinda of fun.”

“Fun,” Keith repeated dubiously.

“Yeah,” Lance nodded. “I always wanted to go on an adventure, and it can’t get much better than saving the whole kingdom, right?”

Keith’s lips quirked up ever so slightly.

“I suppose.”

“Yeah,” Lance grinned. “So don’t feel guilty about dragging a poor civilian like me into it, alright?”

“Alright,” Keith agreed. “I’m still sorry about how I treated you though. I thought you weren’t taking things seriously, but I see now that I was wrong. I mean, you’re still a goofball-”

“Hey!”

“-but you care about people and you get the job done,” he smiled. “You might make a good hero after all.”

Lance opened his mouth to respond, paused, closed it again, cleared his throat, and glanced away with a faint blush.

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

They both turned to watch the crowd below in companionable silence, and Lance tried very hard not to think about how pretty Keith’s smile looked in the moonlight.

\-----

“The Sheikah Tribe is close to the royal family, right?”

Keith looked over at Lance from the saddle of his white steed. They were traveling through the Necluda region of Hyrule on their way to the Shadow Temple. As much as he’d enjoyed exploring the mountains, Lance was glad to be back in a warmer climate.

He was also very very bored after riding horseback in silence for the past three hours, so he decided to test Keith’s newfound geniality to ask something that had been on his mind since his journey began.

“Some are, yes,” Keith answered warily. “The Sheikah are Hylia’s chosen guardians, and they have protected the royal family for hundreds of years.”

“Shiro is Prince Akira’s personal attendant, right?”

Keith nodded.

“And you’re Shiro’s protégé?”

Keith hesitated and nodded again.

“So you must have met Prince Akira, right?” Lance leaned toward Keith eagerly. “What’s he like?”

Lance had only seen Prince Akira in person once, when the royal family held a parade in honor of the prince’s tenth birthday. His whole family had travelled to Castle Town, and Lance had to stand on top of a milk crate to see over the crowds as the king, queen, and prince rode their horses through the streets.

He’d still been too far away to make out much detail other than long white hair, fancy red clothes, and a cute face. Even so, he’d been strangely entranced.

Keith shrugged and hunched his shoulders. Since their talk in Coldsnap Hollow, Keith had taken to pulling down his cloth mask whenever he and Lance were alone, but now he seemed to be trying to hide the lower part of his face behind his scarf instead.

“I don’t know,” the Sheikah muttered. “He’s a prince?”

“Yeah,” Lance rolled his eyes, “but what’s he _like_? All I got from my dream vision was ‘beautiful and mysterious.’”

Despite Keith’s best efforts, two spots of color peeked out on his cheeks above the scarf.

“I guess he can be pretty mysterious,” he said. “He keeps to himself a lot. Not so sure about the ‘beautiful’ bit.”

“Oh, come on!” Lance exclaimed, startling Keith. “Everyone knows the prince of Hyrule is gorgeous, wise, and benevolent.”

“How would they know that if they’ve never met him?” Keith quirked an eyebrow.

“His actions speak for themselves,” Lance huffed. “When the king passed away a few years ago, Prince Akira took on a lot of extra responsibilities to make sure the kingdom didn’t suffer. He wasn’t even old enough to be named crown prince yet, but he took on that burden and worked himself to the bone. His servants practically had to force him to eat and rest.”

Keith stared at Lance and asked, “How do you know about that?”

“You’d be surprised how fast news can spread across the kingdom,” Lance shrugged. “The king’s death was a terrible shock to everyone, but rumors about how much the prince was doing for his people gave us hope in such a dark time, especially since he had more reason to mourn than any of us.”

Lance rubbed the back of his neck and looked away from Keith’s wide eyes.

“That’s part of the reason I was so willing to go on this quest,” he added. “I mean, I would have done it anyway just to save Hyrule! But I’ve always admired the prince a lot, so when he personally asked me for help, of course I said yes.”

“I didn’t realize you felt this way about him,” Keith said softly.

Lance blinked at the Sheikah and felt his face burst into flame.

“That’s not…” Lance flailed his arms. “I’m not...in love with the prince or anything! I just look up to him, y’know?”

“Uh huh,” a sly smile grew on Keith’s face.

“I mean, sure, he’s said to be really beautiful and anyone would be lucky to court him.”

“Sure.”

“And sweeping a prince off his feet would be pretty heroic.”

“I suppose.”

“But like you said, I don’t actually _know_ him, so having feelings for him would be stupid.”

“You said it, not me.”

“I’m not in love with the prince,” Lance insisted. “It’s a tiny crush at most.”

“I’ll let him know so he doesn’t get the wrong idea,” Keith offered blithely.

Realizing he was only digging himself in a deeper hole, Lance looked over at Keith’s teasing smirk and decided to turn the tables.

“Good, because I like to keep my options open. After all,” Lance shot Keith a charming grin and wink, “Prince Akira isn’t the only beauty in Hyrule.”

Keith blinked, the mirth in his eyes replaced by confusion. The implication of Lance’s words finally dawned and Keith quickly turned away, tugging his scarf back up to his nose to hide his pink cheeks. Silently, he flicked his reins and urged his steed into a cantor.

Lance’s grin widened and he spurred Kaltenecker to catch up.

\-----

As they passed a small town, Lance spotted a sobbing young child huddled against a tree off the side of the road. He immediately dismounted his horse and walked over to crouch down next to the little girl.

“Hey,” he greeted softly. “Are you alright?”

He was vaguely aware of Keith coming over to stand behind him, but paid the Sheikah no mind.

“My mother,” the girl sniffled. “She’s sick.”

Lance listened as the girl explained how the illness could only be cured by a juniberry potion, but no one in her village knew how to make it.

“I see,” Lance said. “Well, my companion and I are going to Hateno. Maybe someone there knows. I’ll ask and if I can, I’ll bring the potion back for you.”

The girl looked up at him with big eyes.

“Really?”

“Of course,” Lance grinned. “Don’t worry, your mom will be okay.”

After bidding her farewell and mounting their horses, Lance and Keith continued down the dirt road. Once the little girl was well out of earshot, Keith spoke up.

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Lance didn’t turn around.

“Who says I can’t keep it?” he asked.

“Who says you can?” Keith challenged.

Lance pursed his lips and shot the Sheikah a look.

“Would you have prefered I just ignore her?”

Keith’s expression softened and it was his turn to avert his gaze, eyes shadowed beneath his hood.

“No,” he replied softly. “I’m glad you want to help her. I’m just not sure you should have given her hope that you might not be able to deliver.”

“Hmph,” Lance sniffed. “I’m the chosen hero of the Goddess, remember? I’ll pull through. In fact, I already know where to start.”

“Where?”

“Hateno is a pretty big place, right? Which means Coran will probably be there. That guy has all sorts of obscure knowledge about history and magic and junk. I’m sure he’ll know something about the potion.”

Keith quirked an eyebrow.

“Who’s Coran?”

“You don’t know him?” Lance blinked. “He’s this eccentric traveling merchant. So far I’ve run into him a every major city I’ve gone to. At first I thought maybe he was a bunch of identical siblings or something, but then he would pick up our conversation right where we left off in the last place I visited. It was weird.”

“That does sound odd,” Keith agreed.

“But he knows a lot, so he can probably point us in the right direction, at least.”

“Alright,” Keith said. “Let’s go find him.”

\-----

They arrived in Hateno a few hours later and sure enough, a stand bearing a sign with a large orange mustache was nestled between two more permanent shop buildings.

“Lance, my lad!” Coran exclaimed. “If it isn’t my best customer! And I see you’ve brought a friend this time.”

“Hi, Coran,” Lance chuckled. “This is Keith.”

“Ah, a Sheikah,” Coran eyed the symbol on Keith’s chest. “Few are aware of just how much the Sheikah Tribe does for the people of Hyrule. You have my thanks, young warrior.”

Keith blinked. “Oh, um, you’re welcome?”

Coran seemed to accept this as an appropriate response and clapped his hands.

“Now, what can I do for you boys today?”

Lance quickly explained about the little girl’s sick mother.

“Ah yes,” Coran twirled his mustache. “The juniberry potion. I’m familiar.”

“You know where we could get some?” Lance asked eagerly.

“Why, I could whip you up a bottle myself!” Coran proclaimed. He then paused and wilted a bit. “If I had all the ingredients, that is.”

“What do you need?” asked Keith.

“Most of the components are common things you could find in any forest,” Coran said, “but the juniberry itself is almost impossible to get ahold of.”

“What is a juniberry anyway?” Lance cocked his head. “Some kind of fruit?”

“Indeed, and a rare one at that! It only grows on an ancient tree found in the Makar Woods. The good news is the woods aren’t too far from here!”

“What’s the bad news?” Keith asked.

“The tree only bears fruit once every ten years,” Coran explained apologetically, “and the last harvest has already passed. The likelihood of there being any left is slim at best.”

Lance and Keith exchanged looks.

“Well,” Lance decided, “it doesn’t hurt to check it out.”

\-----

After getting directions from Coran, arguing over said directions, and finally deciding on who’s instinct to follow thanks to a match of rock, paper, scissors, Lance and Keith found themselves at the base of an enormous tree.

“I told you it was this way,” Keith muttered.

“Shut up,” Lance grumbled back. “Do you see any fruit?”

The two squinted up at the behemoth. It was twice as tall as the surrounding trees, and three times as wide. The branches were thick and covered with leaves, making it difficult to see through them. Just as Lance began to fear all hope was lost, a spot of gold caught his eye.

“There!” he pointed.

Keith followed his gaze and his violet eyes widened.

“You’re right,” he said, “but how do we get it?”

Lance hummed.

“I could shoot it down with an arrow,” he finally suggested.

“There are too many branches in the way for a clear shot,” Keith pointed out.

“Maybe we could train a bird to get it for us.”

“That would take too long.”

“Hmmm. What if I rolled into the tree really hard? Maybe the force would-”

Before Lance could finish his thought, Keith stepped up to the tree, drew one of his kunai and jammed the blade into the bark.

Lance spluttered, “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Keith snapped as he stabbed another kunai into a higher spot on the trunk and and pulled himself upwards. He pulled the first blade free and plunged it into yet another higher spot.

“Uh, that seems really dangerous.”

Not to mention disrespectful to the tree.

“Relax,” although Lance couldn’t see Keith’s face, he could tell from his voice that the Sheikah was rolling his eyes. “This is child’s play.”

Lance watched as Keith scaled the tree higher and higher. He would never admit it, but his stomach fluttered with more than a little anxiety. Now he knew what Hunk must have felt like whenever Lance insisted on pulling daring stunts when they were kids.

Keith soon made it to the lowest branches and was able to climb onto one, tucking the knives back into his thigh holsters. With cat-like grace, the Sheikah swung from bough to bough.

Finally, Keith hoisted himself onto a branch just below the juniberry and shot a smirk back down at Lance. The hero rolled his eyes.

Keith reached up and plucked the fruit from the tree. However, no sooner had he tucked it into his pouch when a loud _crack_ echoed through the woods.

Lance saw Keith’s mouth form a small “o” of surprise as the branch supporting him gave way and the Sheikah tumbled toward the ground.

“Keith!”

Without thinking, Lance rushed to stand below his friend, arms raised above his head. Keith crashed into him, knocking Lance onto his back and the air out of his lungs.

After a moment, Lance let out a small cough followed by a groan. The heavy weight on his chest shifted and Lance opened his eyes to see Keith staring down at him.

Despite the pain flowing through every part of his body, Lance managed to muster up a weak chuckle.

“I knew you’d fall for me one day.”

Keith’s face turned an intriguing shade of scarlet, and the Sheikah scrambled to get off of Lance like he’d been electrocuted. Although he refused to make eye contact, Keith offered a hand to help Lance to his feet.

“The juniberry okay?” Lance asked.

Keith reached into his pouch and pulled out the peach-like golden fruit. Thankfully it hadn’t been squished. Keith must have noticed Lance rub the bump on the back of his head because he then pulled another item from his pouch and offered it.

“Thanks,” Lance gratefully took the bottle of red potion.

Once his bruises had healed, they trekked back to Hateno, where Coran still awaited them despite the setting sun.

“Ah! You found one!” Coran’s mustache twitched cheerfully. “Hylia must be watching out for you two, eh?”

The merchant winked at Keith. The Sheikah seemed a bit startled but nodded with a faint smile.

“Well, best not delay! We’ve a little girl’s mother to save!”

They handed Coran the fruit and watched as he chopped it up and added a large chunk to the cauldron already bubbling over the fire.

“You can have the rest if you like,” the merchant nodded at the remaining pieces of fruit. “It’s said to be quite the delicacy.”

Lance and Keith exchanged dubious glances and each picked up a piece. Lance popped it in his mouth and his eyes lit up as sweetness burst across his taste buds. Keith also seemed to enjoy it, judging by the way his pink tongue poked out to chase the juice off his fingers.

The Sheikah looked up at see Lance staring.

“What?”

Heat rose up Lance’s cheeks and he looked away.

“Nothing,” Lance replied.

He could feel the Sheikah’s stare, but before Keith could press the issue, Coran came to Lance’s rescue.

“Here we are,” Coran said as he held out a bottle filled with golden liquid that matched the fruit’s skin.

Lance took it with a smile.

“Thanks, Coran,” he said. “How much do we owe you?”

“Nonsense,” Coran waved away Lance’s wallet, “I’m happy to help my best customer save a family in need. Just promise you’ll stop and chat next time we see each other.”

“Of course,” Lance grinned.

\-----

Although it was late, Lance and Keith decided to ride back to the small town right away since they didn’t know how bad the mother’s condition was.

A local directed them to a small but nice house and when the little girl opened the door, her face lit up. She led them over to a bed where a dark-haired woman rested. Her skin looked pale and clammy, and her face was pinched like she was in pain.

Keith retrieved the potion from his pouch and helped the woman drink it, his hands surprisingly gentle. Almost immediately after she swallowed the last drop, the woman let out a sigh as all the tension in her body seemed to disappear.

“Thank you,” she said. “Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

Lance shook his head.

“We’re just happy you’re alright.”

The woman propped herself up more against the headboard, already visibly stronger.

“Please,” she said, “surely there’s something. You two must be travelling through our tiny town for a reason? Perhaps I can help in some way. I’ve lived here my whole life, and am quite familiar with the area.”

Lance looked over at Keith who asked, “Do you know anything about the Shadow Temple?”

The woman blinked in surprise.

“You want to visit the Shadow Temple? I would advise against it,” she warned. “The place is incredibly dangerous and not like any other temple in Hyrule.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Shadow Temple is located inside a large cave in the deepest part of the Skull Woods,” she explained. “The cave is home to a fierce beast that has guarded the entrance for as long as anyone can remember. Some believe it’s been there since the temple itself was built.”

“Well, not to brag, but we’ve handled plenty of monsters in the past,” Lance said.

His grin faded when the woman pinned him with a sharp look.

“Not like this one,” she claimed. “This is a beast of great magic. Some say it even holds dominion over time and space itself. You cannot slay what you cannot hit.”

“Surely there must be some way to get past it?” Keith asked.

The woman’s gaze moved back and forth between the equally determined expressions on Keith and Lance’s faces, and she sighed.

“There is one legend,” she replied reluctantly, “that says only the string of a sacred bow can tame the beast.”

“A sacred bow,” Keith mused. “Lance, the bow you got from the Forest Temple is called the Sacred Bow, and it’s a gift from Hylia to her champion. Maybe that’s what the legend’s referring to.”

Lance hummed and rubbed his chin in thought. He nodded.

“Let’s try it.”

\-----

“This place is so creepy,” Lance muttered the next day, as he eyed the twisted and gnarled branches of the dead forest.

“It’s called the Skull Woods for a reason,” Keith pointed out. “Let’s just hope we don’t run into any ReDeads.”

Lance shuddered. He had never come face-to-face with a ReDead before but he had heard plenty of stories about their piercing screams that literally froze you in place to make you easier prey.

After a bit more trekking, and fighting off a handful of Poes that were more annoying than dangerous, the dense collection of blackened trees finally parted to reveal a dark and rather ominous looking cave.

Lance and Keith exchanged glances. With a nod, Lance drew his Sacred Bow and Keith unsheathed the knife he kept at the small of his back.

As they cautiously approached the cave, a low growl emanated from the darkness. Two bright yellow eyes opened and the noise became even louder.

Lance shot an arrow directly at the eyes, but before it could make contact, they disappeared only to reappear in a completely different spot.

Lance readjusted his aim but the eyes were already moving as the beast leapt out of the cave and ran straight for him.

No longer hidden in the shadows, the beast revealed itself to be a large wolf. It lunged at Lance, long sharp fangs ready to sink into the hero’s flesh. Lance aimed his arrow directly between its yellow eyes and released the taut string.

This time, he saw how the beast dodged his attack. Right before the arrow reached it, the wolf vanished into thin air. It reappeared just as quickly a little to Lance’s right, still leaping toward him with seemingly no momentum lost.

Lance couldn’t react again in time, but thankfully Keith was already in motion. The Sheikah threw one of his kunai at the wolf. It teleported out of harm’s way once again, but this time to a further distance, giving Lance a chance to recover.

They continued to fight the wolf but couldn’t gain the upper hand. Their skills kept them from becoming lunch, but every time they tried to retaliate, the beast would merely vanish.

“I’m starting to think we were wrong about the Sacred Bow,” Lance shouted as he released another arrow. “So far it hasn’t had any effect whatsoever.”

“Well, do you have a better idea?” Keith demanded, leaping back out of chomping range.

Lance opened his mouth to suggest they retreat for now and come back after taking another look at the legend when a glint of light caught his eye.

It was the sun, reflecting off Keith’s harp.

The Goddess’ Harp.

“Play it a song!” he blurted out.

“What?” Keith glanced incredulously between Lance and the wolf, who appeared to be preparing for yet another charge.

“Your harp,” Lance flailed his arms. “You said it’s a holy relic, right? ‘Only the string of a sacred bow can tame the beast.’”

Understanding dawned in Keith’s eyes, followed by doubt.

“I don’t know...”

The wolf lunged at the Sheikah. Lance moved to intercept but it wasn’t necessary. Keith dropped his blade, grabbed the Goddess’ Harp, and strummed his fingers across the strings.

The wolf froze mid-attack. Lance watched in fascination as the beast’s demeanor slowly transformed from feral to calm.

As Keith plucked a delicate melody, the wolf sat down on its haunches and closed its eyes, swaying slightly with the music. Not stopping, Keith met Lance’s gaze and nodded toward the cave.

With light footsteps, Lance skirted around the wolf and snuck into the entrance leading to the Shadow Temple.

\-----

After completing the dungeon, Lance warped back outside the cave to find a surprising scene.

Keith sat on a nearby fallen log. Though he was no longer playing his harp, the wolf still lay by the Sheikah’s side, head resting in Keith’s lap as he stroked the wolf’s fur.

Lance approached with caution, but the wolf no longer seemed to have any interest in fighting him. With a grin, he plopped down next to Keith.

“Looks like you finally made a friend,” he teased. “I’m so proud.”

Keith rolled his eyes and continued petting the wolf’s head.

“I was afraid he would attack me again once I stopped playing,” Keith said, “but this happened instead.”

“Maybe just using the harp once was enough to show him you’re a servant of the Goddess,” Lance shrugged. “What song was that anyway? I’ve never heard you play it before.”

Keith hesitated, his hand going still.

“It’s a lullaby,” he finally answered. The wolf snuffled and Keith obligingly resumed his petting. “Only the royal family and those they trust know it.”

“Huh,” Lance smirked. “Guess you’re not all talk after all.”

Keith smiled back.

“Guess not.”

The two sat in companionable silence for a bit until the sun began to sink low in the sky.

“We’d better get going,” Lance stood up. “I don’t know about you but I do not want to be in these woods when it’s dark.”

“Aw, is the hero scared?” Keith smirked. Despite his teasing, the Sheikah accepted Lance offered hand and rose to his feet.

Keith patted the wolf farewell and they walked back into the forest. They stopped, however, when it became apparent there were too many footsteps for just the two of them. Looking back, Lance saw the wolf trotting at their heels. He turned to Keith questioningly.

“I think he wants to come with us,” the Sheikah shrugged.

“Is that allowed?”

“Well, you’ve already earned the shard, so technically there’s no reason for him to guard the temple anymore,” Keith reached down to scratch behind the wolf’s ears. “So I suppose there’s no harm in it.”

Lance looked down at the beast dubiously. The wolf wagged his tail.

“It’s up to you,” Lance said. “You’re the one he seems to have latched onto.”

Keith gazed at the wolf consideringly before breaking out into a beautiful smile.

“I’m gonna name him Kosmo,” he declared happily.

And who was Lance to argue?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're not familiar with Zelda, I highly recommend looking up the Gerudo outfit from Breath of the Wild to get the full effect for this chapter lol.
> 
> I made art for this fic! The piece with just Lance is below, but if you want to see him and Keith side by side, please take another look at the first chapter. ヽ(´∇｀)ﾉ I also updated the version of Keith in the second chapter.
> 
> And lastly, by a fun coincidence I just happened to post this chapter on the Legend of Zelda's 33rd Anniversary. It wasn't planned, but I am nonetheless tickled. Happy birthday, Zelda!

 

“So, where to next?” Lance asked as they rode across Hyrule Field, their horses surprisingly at ease with the large wolf that now walked alongside them.

“The final shard is located in the Spirit Temple in the Gerudo Desert,” Keith answered. “We’ll have to speak to the Gerudo Chief to gain access but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get an audience with her.”

“Why not?”

“Well,” Keith bit his lip, “only women are allowed inside Gerudo Town, and it’s unlikely the chief will be willing to come outside to meet with us.”

“Hmmm,” Lance gazed thoughtfully out into the distance. After a moment, the beginnings of an idea began to form in his mind.

A terrible, terrible idea.

“Why are you grinning like that?” Keith asked suspiciously.

“No reason,” Lance sang.

“Lance,” Keith warned.

Lance shrugged with faux nonchalance.

“Well,” he smirked, “I just thought of a way we could sneak into Gerudo Town.”

“Really?” Keith blinked. “How?”

Lance’s grin became feral.

“Beat me in a race and maybe I’ll tell you.”

“Wha-”

With a flick of the reins, and a loud, “Hyah!” Lance urged Kaltenecker into a gallop. Hearing Keith curse behind him as he scrambled to catch up, Lance threw his head back and laughed.

\-----

“Ta da!” Lance swept the curtain aside with a flourish and struck a pose.

“You look ridiculous,” Keith deadpanned.

Lance scoffed and flapped a hand at the Sheikah.

“That’s just because I don’t have the wig and veil on yet.”

“Where did you even get this outfit?”

Lance had bought it from a somewhat shady individual for several hundred rupees, but he wasn’t about to tell Keith that. Instead he grabbed a pile of red cloth and shoved it into the ninja’s hands.

“Your turn,” he chirped.

“What?!” Keith’s cheeks turned pink. “I am not wearing this.”

“They won’t let you in unless you look the part,” Lance insisted as he pushed Keith behind the curtain. “Besides, you’ve gotta be dying under all those clothes.”

They’d been traveling through the desert for days now and while Lance had changed into lighter garments to fight the heat, Keith still wore his black stealth gear. Keith claimed he was fine thanks to his magic potions, but Lance had caught him looking pretty rough around midday when the sun was at its highest.

Keith grumbled but closed the curtain to change. While he waited, Lance admired himself in a nearby mirror. The traditional Gerudo outfit was blessedly cool, and pretty cute too, made with blue fabric that matched Lance’s eyes. The wig would add some heat, but Lance would just have to suck it up.

As he adjusted the fake red locks, the curtain opened behind him.

“This is stupid,” Keith’s voice declared.

Lance turned around, fully intending to poke fun at his friend, and froze.

Up to this point, Lance had only ever seen Keith in his Sheikah ensemble. Sure, he’d gotten comfortable enough around Lance to remove his hood and mask when it was just the two of them, but for the most part the only visible skin on display was the area around his eyes.

In comparison, the Gerudo clothes barely covered anything. The cropped halter top revealed a slim neck, creamy shoulders, and a toned stomach. The pants rode low on his hips and ended slightly below the knees. A matching red ribbon tied his hair into a small ponytail to complete the look.

Lance wasn’t sure if this was the best or worst idea he’d ever had.

Keith peeked up at the expression on Lance’s face and scowled.

“I knew I looked dumb. I’m gonna change back.”

He turned to go back behind the curtain but Lance’s hand shot out to grab Keith’s wrist.

“No!” he blurted out.

At Keith’s confused stare, Lance blushed and dropped the other boy’s wrist like it had burned him.

“I mean…” Lance averted his eyes and cleared his throat. “You look good.”

Keith’s pink cheeks turned an even darker shade.

“Oh,” he shyly tucked a stray lock of black hair behind his ear. “Um, you don’t look too bad yourself. With the wig, I mean.”

Lance grinned.

“You’re lucky your hair is long enough that you don’t have to wear one too. I’m gonna die in this thing.”

Keith smirked and tossed Lance a bottle of Chilly Elixir.

\-----

Lance was in paradise.

Everywhere he looked there were huge, buff women. Lance was fairly tall for a Hylian, but the Gerudo towered over him.

And their physiques! Lance considered himself to be pretty in shape, especially since honing his swordsmanship, but he was almost positive the length of the Gerudo halter tops had less to do with the heat and more to do with wanting to show off their abs.

When Lance stopped for the hundredth time to drool over a young woman selling fruit, Keith rolled his eyes and dragged Lance through the marketplace toward the royal chambers.

So far their disguises were a success. The guards at the town gates allowed them through without any trouble and no one had accused them of trespassing yet.

Two more guards posted at the entrance to what Lance presumed was the Gerudo Chief’s throne room eyed the Hylians as they walked inside, but didn’t move to stop them. Keith confidently led the way, and they soon found themselves standing in front of a beautiful young woman.

Every Gerudo Lance had seen so far had been attractive, but the chief was beyond compare, with dark, flawless skin, long white hair, and sparkling blue eyes. Even if she hadn’t been sitting on a throne, her royal status would have been obvious merely by her regal expression.

“State your business,” ordered the blonde Gerudo that stood next to the throne, a warning hand settled on the hilt of her scimitar.

“Chief Allura,” Keith bowed and Lance hastily followed suit, “my companion and I have travelled from Hyrule Castle to seek your help.”

Allura’s eyebrows rose.

“You have come a long way,” she acknowledged. “What do you ask of me?”

“We wish to enter the Spirit Temple.”

The Gerudo Chief blinked before her eyes narrowed.

“Only the Goddess’ chosen hero can face the trials of the Spirit Temple,” she said.

Keith looked at Lance who turned around. The Gerudo women gasped at the sight of the Master Sword on his back.

The blonde Gerudo recovered first, whipping her scimitar from its sheath.

“If you are the chosen hero, that means you are male,” she snarled. “How dare you sneak into Gerudo Town, filthy voe!”

“Hey, you don’t know that!” Lance retorted hotly. “The Goddess totally could’ve picked a girl.”

Realizing his mistake, Lance snapped his mouth shut. Keith pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

The blonde Gerudo took an aggressive step forward, but Allura held up her hand.

“It’s alright, Romelle,” she said. “While it is true that men are forbidden from entering Gerudo Town, we might be able to make an exception under these dire circumstances. I take it your quest is to defeat Zarkon?”

Lance and Keith exchanged glances.

“That’s right,” Lance nodded.

“Zarkon has a dark history with the Gerudo people,” her lip curled in distaste. “I am willing to bend our laws a bit if it helps bring him to justice.”

“Thank you, Chief Allura,” Keith said. “I promise we’ll do everything we can to take him down.”

Allura’s gaze turned to him and she tilted her head.

“Forgive me, but...do I know you?” Allura squinted down at Keith. “You look familiar.”

The Sheikah averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

“My name is Keith,” he said. “I’m uh, apprenticed to Shiro of the Sheikah Tribe.”

“Shiro?” she blinked. “You’re...oh!” Allura raised a hand to hide her smile as mirth filled her eyes, any trace of the shadows brought by Zarkon’s name seemingly forgotten. “I see. Yes, I remember you now.”

Keith flushed behind his veil, mortified expression only serving to increase the chief’s delight. Lance didn’t really get it. Maybe she was just amused that the normally broody ninja had gone to such lengths to sneak into her city.

“Well, I suppose that settles it then,” Allura clasped her hands. “I will take you to the Spirit Temple first thing in the morning.”

“We can’t go today?” Keith asked.

“I’m afraid it’s a bit far, even by sand seal,” Allura said, “and you don’t want to underestimate the desert at night.”

Keith glanced out at the sun, already low in the sky, and knit his eyebrows.

“Fine,” he said. “Tomorrow morning.”

Lance wished Keith wasn’t wearing the Gerudo veil so he could see the cute pout that was no doubt on his face.

“In the meantime, you’re welcome to a complimentary stay at Hotel Oasis,” Allura smiled. “It offers the finest hospitality in the Gerudo Desert. Their spa plan is famous across all Hyrule.”

Lance immediately perked up.

“Spa plan?”

\-----

Lance let out a low groan as strong hands kneaded his back.

“You are very muscular for a Hylian vai,” the Gerudo masseuse commented.

“Thanks,” Lance sighed happily. “I work out.”

Before bidding them farewell, Allura requested they keep up their disguises so as not to draw attention. It was a little awkward to get a full body massage while still fully clothed, but the masseuse made it work and Lance soon became putty in her hands.

Fingers dug harder into his skin and Lance released another pleased groan.

“How’re you doin’ over there, Keith?” Lance asked absentmindedly.

When there was no answer, Lance opened his eyes and turned toward the other massage bed a few feet away from his own to find the Sheikah staring at him with wide eyes.

“Keith?”

Keith blinked as if shaken from a daze. Lance shot him a questioning look and Keith suddenly turned bright red. The Sheikah whipped his head away to bury his face in his arms.

“Fine,” he mumbled.

“Fine?” Lance repeated with a frown. “If all you’re feeling right now is ‘fine,’ then you’re doing it wrong.”

Keith turned back to him with a scowl.

“I’m doing what wrong?” he asked. “Getting a massage?”

“Yeah,” Lance said. “You’re not letting the talented vai do her thing properly. You gotta relax.”

“You are quite tense,” the Gerudo massaging Keith added.

“Well, it’s not my fault,” Keith grumbled. “I’m under a lot of stress and don’t like random people touching me. You’re the one who insisted on this spa plan thing.”

The Gerudo hummed.

“I can stop if you are uncomfortable,” she offered. “But if you allow it, there is one more thing I would like to try first.”

Keith sighed and dropped his head back into his arms.

“Sure, whatever,” he said.

The masseuse felt along Keith’s back. Apparently finding what she was looking for, the Gerudo pressed her fingertips into a specific spot.

Keith went rigid, his eyes snapping open. Before Lance could grow too concerned, Keith’s body suddenly collapsed, leaving the Sheikah limp and boneless.

“Uh...Keith?” Lance said hesitantly. “You okay?”

“Mmhm,” Keith’s eyes fluttered shut and he let out a soft moan.

Heat rose to Lance’s cheeks and he idly reminded himself to drink another Chilly Elixir soon.

\-----

“This stuff makes my skin tingle,” Keith complained.

“That means it’s working, so stop touching it,” Lance smacked the Sheikah’s hand away from his face.

Keith pouted and crossed his arms.

When the spa workers coated the minty smelling paste on their faces earlier, they had also offered to style their hair. Lance turned them down, not wanting to risk his wig coming off, but somehow managed to take advantage of Keith’s blissed out haze to volunteer him.

The green face mask, Gerudo outfit, and tiny jeweled pins shaped like red flowers woven into Keith’s hair created an image that was more adorable than it had any right to be and Lance was dying.

He tried to distract himself by watching the tiny fish swimming around his ankles. Although they couldn’t partake in the hot springs or sauna for obvious reasons, Hotel Oasis also offered a shallow pool out back where guests could dip their feet and cool off under the shade of the palm trees.

The sun had already disappeared, but the air was still warm and the water felt refreshing.

“How do you know so much about this stuff anyway?” Keith asked, his fingers twitching as he visibly forced himself to obey Lance’s command.

Lance shrugged.

“I’ve always liked to take care of my appearance, and proper skincare is a part of that,” he replied. “I haven’t been able to do as much while traveling on this quest, but I guess having oily pores is a small price to pay for saving Hyrule.”

A small part of Lance expected Keith to make fun of him for his confession, but instead the Sheikah merely hummed and asked, “What kind of stuff did you do before?”

“My sisters and I would usually make our own face masks,” Lance smiled. “They weren’t as good as these ones, but they worked pretty well considering our limited ingredients. When this is all over, I’ll have to bring them back here. They’d love it.” Lance paused and grimaced. “Then again, maybe not. I’d have to crossdress again and while I’m totally fine wearing this outfit, I know they’d never let me hear the end of it.”

“Maybe you could tell them that you’ll only bring them here if they promise not to tease you,” Keith suggested.

Lance brightened and said, “Good idea.”

“How many sisters do you have?” Keith asked curiously.

“Two sisters and two brothers,” Lance answered. “They drive me crazy, but I love them all to bits.”

“That sounds nice,” Keith smiled. “I don’t have any siblings, though I suppose Shiro is like an older brother to me.”

“Oh yeah?” Lance leaned forward eagerly. This was the first time Keith had offered any personal information about his background. “Did you guys grow up together?”

“In a way,” Keith shrugged. “Shiro’s looked out for me for years, and he trained me in the ways of the Sheikah. I owe him a lot.”

Lance hummed. He wanted to ask about Keith’s parents but didn’t want to pry and risk Keith shutting him out altogether. Instead, he launched into an anecdote from his childhood about when his brother Marco tricked his sisters into using Chu Jelly as a face mask.

“When they found out what he’d done, they were so mad,” he grinned. “I seriously thought Veronica was gonna murder him. But you know what the real kicker was?”

“What?” Keith grinned back.

“It actually worked!” Lance exclaimed. “Well, the Red Chu Jelly did, at least. The Green Jelly just made Rachel’s skin feel slimy.”

“That makes sense, actually,” Keith mused. “Red Chu Jelly can be made into health potions, so maybe some of its healing properties work on a surface level.”

“Probably,” Lance said, “but to us kids it was the ultimate plot twist.”

“Which Jelly did he trick you into using?” Keith smirked. “And don’t even try to deny you were involved.”

Lance grimaced.

“Marco somehow got ahold of some Dark Chu Jelly,” he reluctantly admitted. “My face was purple for a week.”

Keith burst out laughing, his head thrown back as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

Lance couldn’t help but stare. Keith rarely allowed himself to relax enough to smile, let alone laugh like that. Warmth bubbled up in his chest, and Lance silently promised himself that he would strive to make it happened more often.

Keith’s laughter finally faded to a chuckle and he looked up to meet Lance’s eyes, his soft gaze doing interesting things to Lance’s insides.

“So what about you?” Lance said. “You and Shiro get up to any shenanigans when you were young?”

“Hmmm,” Keith moved his stare away from Lance to gaze thoughtfully up at the stars. Lance wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

“One time, a dignitary from Zora’s Domain visited Hyrule Castle,” Keith finally said. “He was a real jerk. He acted nice to the royal family, but treated anyone he saw as ‘below him’ like dirt, including Shiro.”

“That’s awful.”

“It really was,” Keith agreed. “I told Shiro to tell the king and queen, but Shiro didn’t want to stir up trouble. So I took matters into my own hands.”

Keith turned back to him and Lance winced. The Zora may be fish people, but it was Keith’s sharp smile that suddenly reminded him of a shark.

“What did you do?” Lance asked with wary anticipation.

“I found the instructions for a temporary truth spell in the castle library,” Keith smirked. “The next morning, he told everyone, including the king and queen, what he really thought of them. Needless to say, the Zora replaced him posthaste with a much more palatable person.”

Lance barked out a laugh.

“And you got away with it?”

“I’m not the only mage in Hyrule,” Keith said innocently. “Anyone with a little magic could have cast that spell. I think Shiro suspected me, but he didn’t say anything.”

“He was probably glad the guy was gone,” Lance said. “I know I would be.”

“I hope so.”

“Man, and Shiro’s like, pretty high ranking, even if he is technically a servant, right?”

“He is, yes.”

“So that guy must’ve treated you even worse. I’m kinda surprised you didn’t just stab him in the face,” Lance chuckled.

Keith blinked.

“What?”

“Y’know, because you were Shiro’s apprentice,” Lance said. “That’s why you were with him in the castle while all this was happening, right?”

“Oh,” Keith blinked again. “Uh, yes, that’s right.”

“You could’ve gotten in a lot of trouble, but you risked it to help Shiro and right an injustice,” Lance concluded. “I think that’s really brave of you.”

Keith looked away shyly and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.

“It really wasn’t as big of a deal as you’re making it out to be,” he said, peeking back up at the hero through his eyelashes, “but thanks, Lance.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment before Keith glanced away again.

“We should probably go to bed,” he rose to his feet and stepped out of the pond. “We’ve got an early start in the morning.”

Lance swallowed his disappointment and nodded.

“It’s about time to take these masks off, too,” he added, taking Keith’s offered hand to help him up. “Leave them on too long and your face will melt.”

Keith snorted and that bubble of happiness returned to Lance’s chest, smaller than before but just as warm.

“Shut up, no it won’t,” Keith gave Lance a playful shove.

“Skincare is a dangerous game, Keith,” Lance replied solemnly as they walked back inside, “but the benefits outweigh the risks. You’ll understand soon enough.”

They washed the masks off and Lance gently patted his own cheeks.

“See?” Lance closed his eyes and sighed happily. “Soft as a Keaton’s tail.”

Something brushed against his face and Lance jumped. He opened his eyes to see Keith with his arm outstretched, the tips of his fingers still touching Lance’s cheek.

Keith blinked and seemed to realize what he was doing. He snatched his hand back and gave a small cough.

“Have you ever actually felt a Keaton’s tail?” he asked, a faint blush on his face.

“Well, no,” Lance admitted as he tried to figure out what just happened. “But my face is definitely as soft as one, if not softer.”

“Sure it is,” Keith agreed, his lightly mocking tone belied by a fond smile.

\-----

“We’re much busier than usual this week so I’m afraid this is the only room available right now,” the Gerudo said as she lead them down the hall.

“Anything is fine,” Lance assured her. They’d been mostly sleeping on the ground by a campfire, so just having a roof over their heads would be an improvement.

“Here we are,” she stopped in front of a door. “My apologies once again. Please let me know if you need anything else.”

She offered a short bow and returned down the hallway.

Lance entered the room and looked around. He wasn’t sure why she kept apologizing. It was quite nice, with tasteful decor, a tall balcony window overlooking the vast Gerudo desert, and a large bed piled high with pillows.

...Wait.

Keith seemed to make a similar realization, his eyes glancing between the bed and Lance.

“I can take the floor,” he finally offered. “You need to be rested for the Spirit Temple.”

“No way,” Lance shook his head. “I made you do the spa plan with me, you should take it.”

“You didn’t make me do anything,” Keith rolled his eyes. “Believe me, if I really hadn’t wanted to do it, I wouldn’t have.”

“Well, okay,” Lance said, “but I still say you should take the bed.”

Keith eyed the mountain of pillows and bit his lip.

“We could...share?” he mumbled.

Lance’s mind blanked.

“Huh?”

Keith flushed and shrugged, avoiding all eye contact.

“I’m just being practical,” he crossed his arms. “There’s plenty of room. It doesn’t have to be weird.”

Lance recovered somewhat and looked at the bed. It _was_ quite large. Three grown men could probably fit comfortably.

“Um,” he rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “I guess I’m game if you are.”

Keith nodded and the two set about preparing for bed. As Lance propped his sword against the night stand for easy access in the event of an emergency, he heard a muttered curse behind him.

Lance turned around to see Keith struggling to untangle the flower pins from his hair.

“Uh, do you need help with that?”

“No, I think I’ve got it.” Keith tugged on a strand only to wince as the knot became worse.

“Here,” Lance shuffled across the mattress and kneeled beside the Sheikah. “Let me.”

Keith eyed him warily but shifted so his back was to Lance. Encouraged by this sign of trust, the hero began to gently coax the pins from Keith’s hair.

Keith’s very soft, very shiny hair.

Lance quickly got lost in the feeling of the silky strands whispering across his fingers, and before he knew it, the final pin came free and joined the small pile on the nightstand.

Lance cleared his throat and leaned back on his heels.

“All done.”

“Thanks,” Keith peeked over his shoulder at Lance, the delicate pink on his cheeks so faint that Lance wasn’t entirely sure if he was imagining it there or not.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Keith suddenly tore his gaze away and dove under the covers.

“Goodnight,” he mumbled, the blanket pulled up high enough that only his hair and the tips of his pointed ears were still visible.

Lance blinked and retreated back to his side of the bed.

“Night,” he replied softly.

Lance closed his eyes, hyper aware of the warmth at his back, and tried not to think about Keith’s laugh.

\-----

Warm.

Lance was warm, warmer than he’d been in a long time. As he slowly regained consciousness, Lance became aware of the body pressed against his side, the weight on his chest, the soft hair tickling his neck.

Lance carefully slit one eye open and looked down. He must have rolled onto his back during the night, bringing him closer to the middle of the bed, limbs sprawled out haphazardly. One would think taking up so much space would have pushed the other inhabitant of the bed away, but apparently the opposite was true.

Curled up against him, one arm flung over his waist and cheek pressed against Lance’s collar bone, was Keith.

His heart began to race, but Lance didn’t dare move. His eyes roamed greedily as he admired the dark eyelashes fanned against pale cheek bones, the cute nose and slightly parted lips, the long hair that Lance now knew felt just as silky as it looked. It took every ounce of willpower Lance possessed to resist brushing that hair away from Keith’s face to get an even better view.

Lance could have happily stared at Keith’s peaceful face for hours, but fate had other ideas. Perhaps Keith had felt the weight of Lance’s stare even in his sleep, or perhaps it was the rapid beat of his heart beneath the Sheikah’s ear. Whatever the case, Keith stirred, and those long lashes fluttered as he opened his eyes. Blinking blearily, Keith slowly looked up to see Lance still staring down at him.

The two Hylians froze, caught in each other’s gazes, cheeks turning increasingly red.

Mustering up his courage, Lance swallowed and opened his mouth.

“Um…”

A sharp rap at the door startled Lance and Keith out of their stupor.

“My apologies for disturbing you,” the manager of Hotel Oasis’ voice floated from behind the door, “but Chief Allura is waiting for you downstairs.”

The two exchanged glances and Lance cleared his throat.

“Thanks,” he called out, “we’ll be down in a minute.”

Footsteps receded as the Gerudo walked away from the door. Keith finally moved to untangle himself from Lance, and the hero tried not to miss his warmth.

Silence reigned as they shuffled about the room to gather their meager belongings. Lance settled his sword and shield on his back and risked a peek over at Keith. The Sheikah appeared to be trying to adjust his Gerudo outfit to better conceal his weapons, but Lance swore he’d felt those violet eyes staring at him not a second ago.

Holding in a sigh, Lance led the way downstairs to meet with the Gerudo Chief.

\-----

The journey to the Spirit Temple was long but fun. Allura brought four sand seals from her own personal herd for Lance, Keith, Romelle, and the chief herself to use.

At first Lance wasn’t sure how useful the animals would be since they weren’t quite big enough to ride, but Allura quickly demonstrated their worth by grabbing one’s reins and using her shield to surf across the sand as it pulled her along. Lance picked it up fairly quickly, and was soon whooping in excitement as they raced across the golden dunes.

The hot sun beat down on them, and Lance was grateful for how light the Gerudo clothes were, and that they were far enough from the town that he’d been able to ditch the hot wig awhile back.

Finally, they arrived at a large structure half buried in the sand. A colossal statue of a Gerudo woman towered over the entryway to the temple, beautiful and intimidating.

“Would you like us to wait here for you?” Allura asked.

“That’s alright,” Keith shook his head. “But thank you for all your help.”

“Of course. Once you’ve defeated Zarkon, please come visit us again,” Allura winked, her eyes sparkling in the sun. “I’ll be sure to draw up the proper documents so that you can stay as your true selves.”

Allura and Romelle wished them luck and rode back to Gerudo Town.

“Speaking of which,” Keith eyed Lance’s clothes, “you should probably change. The temple shouldn’t be too hot inside, and that outfit isn’t exactly durable if you get into a battle.”

Lance agreed and quickly changed back into his blue Champion’s Tunic. He returned to the temple entrance where Keith waited and the Sheikah drew his harp. After playing a song that reminded Lance of the souls lost in the desert, Lance took a deep breath and turned toward the large doors.

He took a step only to halt at the tug on his tunic.

“Lance, wait.”

Lance turned back around to face Keith.

“What is it?”

“This is the last temple,” Keith said, “and will probably be the most difficult. Once you complete it, we’ll finally be able to confront Zarkon.”

Not sure how to respond, Lance merely nodded.

Keith stepped back, lowering his eyes.

“I guess I just wanted to say...good luck,” Keith’s eyes flicked up to meet Lance’s. “I’ll be here when you get out.”

Lance’s lips quirked into a smile. He never doubted that Keith would wait for him, but hearing it out loud was oddly reassuring.

“Thanks, Keith,” Lance’s smile gained a sly edge, “and I’ll be here if you ever wanna cuddle, since you looked like you were enjoying it so much earlier.”

As the red faced Sheikah spluttered in outrage, Lance twirled around and swanned into the temple.

\-----

Keith was right; the Spirit Temple was the hardest of all the trials Lance faced so far. Even so, in the end, he prevailed and the dungeon boss withered away. A familiar speck of light floated down from the heavens and Lance reached into his pouch to pull out the incomplete Amulet.

Lance watched as the final shard slotted into place. The Amulet of Oriande glowed briefly and the cracks that ran between the individual pieces faded away to leave the pendant looking like it had never been broken.

It was quite pretty, now that it was whole again, a semi-translucent amber stone shaped into a teardrop the size of Lance’s palm. Three triangles were etched into the center, each containing a crest of the Goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore.

Lance grabbed his heart container and warped out of the temple. Spotting Keith, the hero walked over and set the Amulet into the Sheikah’s waiting hands.

Keith eagerly examined the magic item before his eyebrows drew together.

“What is it?” Lance asked.

“Something isn’t right,” Keith said.

“What? Please don’t tell me this is the wrong Amulet. I do _not_ want to have to do another seven dungeons.”

“No,” Keith shook his head. “This is the Amulet of Oriande, but its magic has...faded, maybe because it’s been broken for so long. Whatever the reason, in its current state, it’s not powerful enough to break Zarkon’s barrier.”

“So,” Lance’s shoulders slumped, “we did all this for nothing?”

Keith looked up at Lance’s crestfallen face and his posture shifted, determination in his violet eyes.

“No,” he said, “I know what we have to do. Follow me,”

\-----

They picked up Kosmo and their horses from Kara Kara Bazaar, where they had been left behind to protect them from the heat, and rode back to the forested lands of Central Hyrule.

“There are three sacred springs in Hyrule,” Keith explained as he led Lance down into a grotto. “One for each of the three Golden Goddesses; Farore, the Goddess of Courage, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Din, the Goddess of Power.”

Lance looked around at the cavern. Ancient pillars rose from the small pond, as well as shorter platforms one could stand on. Ivy climbed the rock walls that surrounded the area. Standing tall in the center of the spring was a statue of the Goddess Hylia.

The overall effect soothed something inside of Lance. It was...peaceful, like nothing he had ever felt before.

“This is the Spring of Courage,” Keith said. “My hope is that your connection to Farore will be strong enough that we won’t have to travel to the other two.”

“My connection?”

“Well, yes,” Keith quirked an eyebrow. “As the chosen hero, you are the rightful holder of the Triforce of Courage, which was created by Farore.”

Lance blinked. “I am? I thought Hylia was my patron Goddess.”

“Hylia chose you to be her champion,” Keith took the Amulet of Oriande and walked over to the statue, “but Farore also chose to bless you with the Triforce of Courage, just as Nayru blessed Prince Akira, and Din blessed Zarkon.”

“Wait,” Lance followed Keith, “Zarkon has a piece of the Triforce?”

“It’s part of what makes him so powerful,” Keith said as he placed the Amulet on the pedestal in front of Hylia. “If he succeeds in getting the other two pieces, he’ll be unstoppable. We can’t let that happen. Now hush, I need to concentrate.”

“But-”

Keith shot him a look and Lance shut his mouth with a click.

The Sheikah drew his harp, closed his eyes, and began to play. The melody reminded Lance of the lullaby Keith used to tame Kosmo, but it wasn’t quite the same. As Keith plucked the notes, the water around the statue started to glow.

Without thinking, Lance took the Lion’s Flute from his waist and accompanied Keith’s song. The water shined brighter, growing to encompass the Amulet as well.

Soon the ballad came to an end. Keith put his harp away and picked up the Amulet. A warm glow pulsed from within the stone like a heartbeat.

But it wasn’t nearly as beautiful as Keith’s triumphant smile.

\-----

They made a quick stop to Kakariko for last minute preparations. Keith decided to leave Kosmo in Coran’s capable hands since he felt it was too dangerous to bring his new pet into Zarkon’s lair, and the merchant seemed more than happy to take care of the wolf until they returned.

Before Lance knew it, they were finally in front of the gates to Hyrule Castle, inches away from the barrier of dark energy that blocked their path.

Keith drew the Amulet of Oriande from his pouch and held it out toward the barrier. Light burst from the stone, so bright that Lance had to shield his eyes. A thunderous sound like shattering glass pierced the air, and when the light finally faded, the barrier disappeared.

“Let’s go,” Keith said.

Lance turned to him in surprise.

“You’re coming with me?”

“I couldn’t help you in the temples, but this isn’t a temple,” Keith pointed out. “Besides, I’ve been itching for a rematch with Zarkon.”

“Okay,” Lance grinned. “Let’s get him.”

Lance moved to enter the castle but Keith hesitated.

“Wait,” he said. “Before we go inside, there’s one more thing.”

“Yeah?” Lance turned back to Keith curiously.

“We don’t know what will happen in there,” Keith fidgeted, something Lance had never seen the Sheikah do before. “We might not even make it out alive, so…”

“...So?” Lance prompted.

In the blink of an eye, Keith grabbed Lance’s shoulders, pushed up onto his toes, and pressed their lips together. Lance didn’t even have time to react before Keith pulled away again, face scarlet.

“Okay, let’s go,” he mumbled quickly and stepped towards the doors.

Lance’s hand shot out to grab Keith’s wrist and pulled, spinning the Sheikah back around to crash against Lance’s chest. Before Keith could speak, Lance cupped his face and brought him in for a proper kiss.

After a few seconds of coaxing, Keith finally relaxed enough to loop his arms around Lance’s waist, his eyes fluttering shut. Lance’s fingers slid back into the Sheikah’s hair, causing his hood to slip off, and Keith released a soft sigh against Lance’s lips.

All too soon, they pulled apart.

Lance didn’t even try to hide his wide grin as he gazed into Keith’s eyes.

He knew Keith was right. They might not survive this encounter with Zarkon. But he couldn’t think about that. Not now, when Keith was finally in his arms, looking at Lance with an expression so shy and so fond that Lance felt like he might start floating.

Lance’s smile turned into something softer as he reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Keith’s pointed ear.

Things would be alright. They’d defeat Zarkon, save the Kingdom, and face anything that came after.

Silently, Lance took Keith’s hand and squeezed.

Keith squeezed back and they entered the castle. Together.

\-----

Hyrule Castle was beautiful, even in its ruined state. Gorgeous tapestries hung on the walls depicting the history of the kingdom, plush red carpet lined the floors, and crystal chandeliers dripped from the ceilings.

As they passed through what appeared to be the dining hall, they were met with a chilling sight.

Keith had told Lance that Zarkon turned his enemies into stone, but seeing the result up close and personal was another matter. Several victims, soldiers, nobles, and servants alike, stood frozen in various poses, some clearly trying to run away when hit with the spell, and others whose stances suggested they had tried to fight back.

A small noise drew Lance’s attention over to Keith, who gazed at one figure in particular, anguish clear on his face.

Lance padded over to join the Sheikah and examined the figure. It was a tall woman dressed in regal clothes, her arm outstretched as if to shout a command. Even turned to stone, Lance could see the fury in her sharp gaze.

“When Zarkon attacked, he demanded Queen Krolia surrender Hyrule to him,” Keith murmured. “She refused, of course. So he did this.”

“Is it reversible?” Lance asked.

Keith’s expression darkened and he turned on his heel to stalk out of the dining hall.

“It had better be,” he growled.

They continued through the castle, fighting any monsters that blocked their way, and soon found themselves in a large, open courtyard. As they started to cross it, a sinister laugh filled the air, halting Lance and Keith in their tracks.

A dark purple cloud materialized in front of them before dispersing to reveal a large figure.

“Zarkon?” Keith raised his weapon and then paused. “No, it’s not him, but something else.”

The monster before them was shaped like a man, but had no distinct features. It looked as though it were made of darkness itself. Purple lines and patterns gave it some semblance of an identity, outlining the figure’s armor and cloak. It held in its hand an equally dark sword, the blade wide with a flat end rather than a tapered pointed one, and big enough that Lance would probably need both hands just to lift it.

“A phantom,” Keith determined. “Zarkon must have summoned it and shaped it in his own image to intimidate us. Unfortunately for him,” a bloodthirsty smile grew on Keith’s face, “it just makes me wanna crush him more.”

The three combatants leapt into action.

The phantom’s primary strategy seemed to consist of flying around in the air and shooting orbs of dark energy at them, but Lance quickly discovered he could reflect the orbs back at it with the Master Sword. After some vollying back and forth, the phantom would slip up and get hit by the orb, causing it to fall to the ground where Keith waited to slash it with his blade.

This worked well for a few rounds, until Lance was the one who slipped up.

The orb hit him at full force, knocking the hero several feet back. Lance struggled to pick himself up off the floor, gritting his teeth as the dark energy coursed through his veins like electricity.

The phantom loomed over him, giant sword poised to strike the final blow.

“Lance!”

Keith jumped between them as the blade swung down.

“Keith! No!”

Lance managed to get to his knees and froze at the sight before him.

Keith stood tall, his arm stretched out to create a shield of light that blocked the sword’s attack. The power of the magic created gusts of wind that knocked Keith’s hood off his head, and swept through his inky black hair.

Black hair that was melting into a pure snow white.

Lance’s wide eyes slowly moved to focus on Keith’s hand. That wasn’t just any light, he realized. There, on the back of his hand, glowed the Triforce of Wisdom.

Keith’s eyes narrowed and the light grew stronger. The phantom shrieked as beams of light pierced through it, cracking its shadowy body until it finally crumbled into nothingness.

The light faded, and Keith lowered his arm. He didn’t turn around, even as Lance slowly stood back up.

“You’re…” Lance breathed.

“Yes.”

“Why…” Lance swallowed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Keith, no, Prince Akira finally turned to face Lance, his violet eyes filled with uncertainty. He took in the hero’s battleworn state and stepped forward.

“Please,” he said, “let me heal your injuries.”

Lance eyed him but nodded. Keith dug into his pouch and uncorked a bottle. The fairy circled around him, and Lance released a relieved sigh as his aches and pains melted away.

“I wanted to tell you,” Keith finally said. “It just...never felt like the right time.”

“We’ve been traveling together for weeks,” Lance pointed out. “I get why you might have hidden it from me in the beginning, but…I thought our journey together brought us closer.”

Close enough that he had kissed Lance mere hours ago.

“We even talked about the royal family, so you had plenty of opportunities.”

Lance told Keith he had a crush on the prince. He felt like such an idiot.

“Do you...still not trust me?”

“I do trust you, Lance, I just…” Keith wrapped his arms around his middle and ducked his head, making himself appear small. “I didn’t want things to change between us.”

“What do you mean?”

Keith took a breath and looked up into Lance’s eyes.

“I’ve had more fun with you as Keith in these last few weeks than I ever had as Prince Akira,” he said. “I wasn’t ready to let that go, even if it meant keeping secrets from you. I’m sorry.”

Lance studied Keith’s miserable expression for a moment then sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

“I guess I can understand that. I’m still upset that you lied for so long,” he added when Keith glanced up, “but I get what you mean. Since learning I was Hylia’s chosen hero, it’s felt like the weight of the world rested on my shoulders. I don’t regret it or anything, but sometimes I wish I could go back to being a nobody, just whiling away the hours on my family’s farm.”

Lance took a cautious step toward Keith, who stared back at him with hopeful eyes.

“I can’t imagine what it must be like to have been born with that kind of responsibility. If being Keith gave you a chance to let go of all that, even just for a little bit, then I can’t be mad you wanted to hold onto it.”

Keith swallowed, his eyes suspiciously wet.

“Thank you, Lance,” he said.

“Of course,” Lance offered the prince a crooked smile. “And hey, maybe once all this is over, you and I can go on more adventures together, as Lance and Keith.”

Keith smiled back.

“I’d like that.”

They stared into each other’s eyes, and just as Lance was about to lean in for another kiss, Keith cleared his throat and took a step back. Lance’s disappointment quickly vanished at Keith’s next words.

“Now that you know who I am, I can finally give you this.”

Keith raised his arms and golden light burst from his hands. After a moment, the light faded and Keith presented Lance with a bow like none he had ever seen before. The silver curve resembled a crescent moon with delicate gold swirls decorating the inner side.

“This is the Bow of Light,” Keith said. “It is one of the Goddess’ most powerful weapons. With it and the Master Sword, you can defeat Zarkon.”

Lance took it reverently.

“I won’t let you down,” he said.

“I know you won’t,” Keith replied.

The two shared a smile, but before Lance could say anything else, a loud rumble suddenly shook the castle, almost knocking the two Hylians off their feet.

“What was that?” Lance demanded.

A low, sinister laugh filled the air.

“How foolish of you to return here...Prince Akira.”

A flash of purple light enveloped Keith, encasing him in what appeared to be a large crystal.

“Keith!”

Lance beat at the crystal with his fists, but it didn’t budge. Inside, Keith also tried to break the stone, muffled curses spewing from his lips.

Snarling, Lance drew the Master Sword from its sheath and swung it at the crystal. Before it could make contact, Keith flew up into the air, far out of Lance’s reach.

Another chuckle echoed through the room.

“Now the Triforce of Wisdom shall be mine.”

“Let him go, Zarkon!” Lance shouted.

“If you wish to rescue your precious prince,” the voice said, “come to the Sanctum. I will gladly accept your challenge, and when I win, I will take the Triforce of Courage as well.”

Lance watched helplessly as the crystal trapping Keith vanished into thin air.

As the laughter faded away, Lance tightened his grip on the Master Sword and stalked through the courtyard.

\-----

Determination made Lance single-minded, the hero barely even registering the monsters he slew as he tore through the castle.

At last, he made it to the great hall, the final room before the Sanctum. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the large doors slammed shut behind him, sealing him inside. Lance drew his sword and shield.

The figure standing in the center of the hall, however, was not Zarkon.

“Keith?”

Lance lowered the Master Sword, but didn’t sheath it, well aware that this could be some kind of trick. He stepped forward warily.

“Keith,” he repeated, “are you alright? Where’s Zarkon?”

Keith slowly turned around to face Lance, and the hero froze.

Even if Lance couldn’t sense the dark aura radiating off of the prince, the glowing yellow eyes, purple tinted skin, and black veins creeping up his neck and cheeks were a dead giveaway that something was wrong.

Lance swallowed heavily.

“Kei-”

Lance barely reacted in time to deflect the kunai Keith threw at his face. Lowering his shield, Lance looked up to find Keith rushing towards him at full speed, and had to backflip away in order to dodge a swipe of the prince’s blade.

“Keith, wait!” Lance shouted as he continued to defend himself. “It’s me! Lance! I’m not your enemy!”

Keith didn’t give any indication that he heard Lance’s words, attacking the hero in a flurry of movement.

Lance cursed. He didn’t know if this was a monster pretending to be Keith or if it really was Keith under some kind of spell, but he didn’t want to hurt him in case of the latter. When it became obvious that talking wasn’t going to get him anywhere, however, Lance had no choice but to go on the offense and hope he could subdue Keith before either of them got seriously injured.

Lance had never been more thankful for their sparring sessions as he slowly managed to gain the upper hand. His sword landed a powerful blow, and Keith stumbled backward.

Lance paused, worry churning in his gut.

Instead of collapsing, however, Keith reached behind himself and drew his knife from the small of his back. Yellow eyes stared at Lance through the curtain of Keith’s bangs as the knife glowed and transformed into a sword.

The prince charged and Lance found himself on the defense once again.

The hero grit his teeth, struggling to fend off Keith’s blade. Ducking a swipe that would have decapitated him, Lance dodge-rolled to the side and hastily backed away to put some distance between them.

Before Keith could close the gap once more, Lance sheathed his sword and pulled out the Bow of Light.

“Please let this work,” he muttered.

Keith dashed toward him and Lance drew the string taut. An arrow unlike any Lance had ever seen before materialized, with sleek metal fletching and an arrowhead shaped like a crescent moon.

It shot straight and true to pierce Keith in the center of his chest, and the prince released an inhuman shriek as light enveloped his body.

Finally, the light faded and Keith stood still in the center of the room, his eyes remaining closed as Lance cautiously approached the prince.

Lance watched the black veins withdraw and Keith’s skin fade back to its normal creamy color. The prince suddenly swayed forward and Lance hurried to catch him, kneeling on the floor with Keith propped against his chest.

The prince’s eyes fluttered open and Lance let out a sigh of relief when those gorgeous violet irises blinked up at him.

“Lance?” Keith said. “What happened?”

“Zarkon put some kind of spell on you,” Lance tightened his grip. “We fought...I shot you. I’m sorry.”

“You did what you had to,” Keith shook his head. “I’ll be alright. But Zarkon, he took the Triforce of Wisdom. I couldn’t stop him.”

“I’ll get it back,” Lance promised. “You stay here.”

Lance moved to stand up, but Keith clutched at his tunic.

“I’m coming with you,” Keith said.

“You’re hurt,” Lance protested.

But Keith was the most stubborn person Lance had ever met and revealing his true identity apparently hadn’t changed that. Lance was at least able to get Keith to drink one of his red potions before they walked to the large doors at the back of the hall.

“This is it,” Keith said. “Are you ready?”

Lance turned his gaze from the doors over to meet Keith’s determined eyes. He gave the prince a firm nod.

Together, Lance and Keith each grasped one of the ornate door knobs and stepped into the Sanctum.

\-----

As the doors shut behind them, an ominous bang echoed through the room.

Like the rest of the castle, the Sanctum still held traces of its former beauty. It was huge, spacious enough for dozens of people to meet and pay homage to the queen. Light filtered in through tall stained glass windows to cast pretty patterns on the floor, and plush velvet carpet lined a path from the entrance to the dais at the far end of the Sanctum where two majestic thrones stood side by side.

A large figure sat on one of the thrones, his cold eyes unblinking.

“So you have come to challenge me, hero,” he said in a deep, rumbling voice.

“Well, yeah,” Lance drew his sword and shield. “I made a promise that I would save Hyrule, which means you’re going down.”

Zarkon chuckled and rose to his feet. Beside Lance, Keith drew his knife and transformed it into a sword.

“You think you can defeat me?” Zarkon asked. “How foolish. I will be the only victor today, and once you are dead, all three pieces of the Triforce will be mine.”

Zarkon raised his hand and two golden triangles materialized to float in the air above him. Lance felt a burst of warmth and looked down at the back of his own hand to see a tattoo appear, depicting three triangles connected into one larger triangle. The one on the lower right, the Triforce of Courage, glowed more brightly than the others.

“Once I have the complete Triforce, I will be all-powerful,” Zarkon said. “Not even Hylia herself will be able to stop me.”

The light from the tattoo faded away, but the strength it gave Lance remained. He tightened his grip on the Master Sword and shot Zarkon a confident smirk.

“Well, I don’t like the sound of that,” he glanced over at Keith. “How about you, babe?”

Keith eyed him but didn’t protest the pet name.

“Not the ending I was hoping for,” he agreed wryly.

Lance grinned and turned back to Zarkon.

“You heard his highness,” he chirped. “Looks like we’re sticking to the original plan.”

“Try as you might,” Zarkon waved away the Triforces of Power and Wisdom, and drew two large swords, “you cannot win.”

Without any further warning, he rushed at Lance and Keith. The two sprang out of the way and quickly retaliated with their own weapons.

Despite their best efforts, Zarkon evaded their blows easily. He was surprisingly fast for a man of his size, and used the twin blades to deflect their attacks.

What felt like an age passed. The Sanctum was in shambles, Lance and Keith were losing energy, and Zarkon barely looked fazed.

Lance dodged another swipe of one of the jagged swords and managed to bash Zarkon in the face with his shield. While he was temporarily stunned, the hero ducked behind a fallen piece of rubble to catch his breath.

“Lance,” Keith suddenly appeared next to him, startling the hero, “I have an idea. Give me the Bow of Light.”

“Uh, okay,” Lance handed it over.

“I’ll try to weaken him with Light Arrows,” Keith explained quickly in a hushed tone. “When he’s distracted, attack him with the Master Sword.”

Lance nodded.

An angry shout echoed through the room. Lance peeked over the rubble to see Zarkon had recovered and was searching the Sanctum furiously. Lance ducked back down to tell Keith that Zarkon would be upon them at any moment.

Before he could speak, Keith leaned in and kissed Lance. It was swift and chaste, and Lance barely had time to reciprocate before Keith pulled away again.

“Good luck,” he whispered before darting away to melt into the shadows.

Lance stared after him, a light blush on his cheeks. He quickly shook himself out of it. Now wasn’t the time.

Leaping out from behind the rubble to face Zarkon once more, Lance promised himself that next time they kissed, he would hold Keith in his arms and make it last for hours.

The Master Sword clashed with the dark twin blades, and without Keith at his side, Lance had to fight even harder than before just to keep Zarkon at bay.

Suddenly, a streak of light shot through the air and pierced Zarkon’s back, causing the evil king to convulse as golden magic crackled around him.

Lance didn’t waste any time, and managed to land a handful of blows before Zarkon recovered enough to block him again.

Perched on one of the Sanctum’s overlooking balconies, Keith readied another Light Arrow. Their new strategy worked for awhile. Lance distracted Zarkon so that the prince could get a good shot, then Lance got in as many hits as he could while Zarkon was stunned.

Finally, Zarkon got fed up and turned around to blast on orb of dark energy at the balcony, destroying the stone in a fiery explosion.

“Keith!”

Keith’s Sheikah training must have kicked in because just before the energy hit, he leapt from the balcony and landed gracefully on his feet.

Lance’s relief was short-lived. Zarkon flew across the room and Keith had no time to react before the evil king grabbed him by the throat, lifting Keith high above his head.

“No!” Lance ran towards them and fear gripped his heart as he watched Keith scrabble at Zarkon’s hand, his legs kicking frantically in the air.

Keith drew one of his kunai and stabbed Zarkon in the arm. The evil king roared in anger, but didn’t drop him. Instead, Lance watched in horror as Zarkon flung Keith several feet across the room. The prince hit the wall with a sickening _crack_ and slumped to the ground.

Burning rage enveloped Lance. He jumped the remaining distance between them and swung his sword with a battle cry.

Zarkon spun around and managed to block Lance, but the hero was already moving into his next attack. This time, Zarkon was the one on the defense, barely able to keep up with the flurry of the Master Sword.

Lance’s mind was strangely blank. All he knew was that he wouldn’t let Zarkon hurt Keith ever again.

The hero narrowed his blue eyes and pressed forward. A powerful blow knocked Zarkon through the air, and he landed on his back with a pained grunt.

Seeing his chance, Lance leapt after the evil king, flipped his grip on the Master Sword, and thrust the blade downward, straight through Zarkon’s chest. Zarkon released a horrifying scream and then went limp.

Chest heaving, Lance stared down and watched as the light of the Triforce on the back of Zarkon’s hand faded away.

“Don’t think this is the end, boy,” Zarkon growled through clenched teeth. “We will meet again in the next life, and I will destroy everything you hold dear.”

The evil king drew his final breath and crumbled to dust, leaving only the Master Sword impaled into the floor. Lance retrieved his blade and turned to see Keith walk up to him. The prince had a slight limp and a small trickle of blood ran down his temple from a cut on his forehead, but Keith paid his injuries no mind, his violet eyes glued to where Zarkon laid mere seconds ago.

A faint glow caught their attention and Keith looked down at his hand in awe. The Triforce of Wisdom had returned to its rightful owner.

Keith clutched his hand to his chest and a relieved sob escaped from his lips. Before Lance could figure out what to say, Keith flung his arms around Lance’s neck. The hero quickly slipped his own around Keith’s waist, hugging him tightly. Having Keith here with him, alive and safe, was enough to finally dissipate the coil of tension in Lance’s chest.

They loosened their embrace just enough to look into each other’s eyes and Lance tilted his head down to touch his forehead against Keith’s.

“You did it, Lance,” Keith breathed.

“We did it,” Lance corrected.

A beautiful smile spread across Keith’s face and Lance had no choice but to show his appreciation with a kiss.

\-----

“Thank you, Lance, for all you have done for this kingdom,” Keith’s voice rang strong. “On behalf of everyone here, I officially name you the Champion of Hyrule.”

Beaming, Lance bowed slightly so that Keith could slip the ribbon over his head. Once the gold medal had settled against his chest, Lance turned around to face the audience gathered in the Sanctum, now restored to its former glory after Zarkon’s defeat.

Lance’s whole family cheered in the front row, his mother with tears in her eyes as she clasped his grandmother’s hands. Lance spotted Hunk and several other people he had met on his journey scattered throughout the crowd as well, the Goron making the loudest noise after Lance’s siblings.

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and Lance turned to see Keith step down from the dais to stand beside him, his eyes bright with joy, pride, and affection. The dozens of people in front of them and Queen Krolia sitting regally on her throne behind them were the only things that kept Lance from kissing the prince right then and there.

It didn’t help that Keith looked absolutely gorgeous in his royal attire. Red velvet and white silk draped over his body and gold jewelry adorned his wrists, ears, and neck. A delicate circlet completed the ensemble with sparkling rubies twinkling out from behind his ivory bangs.

Lance didn’t look half bad himself, as he stood tall in the blue Champion’s Tunic Shiro gave him so long ago, magically repaired to look as good as new, and the Master Sword sheathed on his back for all to see.

As he took in everyone’s smiling faces, all the hardships Lance had faced felt more than worth it. It was a long and arduous journey, but Hyrule and its citizens were finally safe, and Lance’s chest swelled with pride.

He felt like a true hero.

\-----

Lance took a deep breath as he leaned on the balcony railing and admired the castle garden below. The ceremony had ended hours ago and everyone migrated to the dining hall to celebrate Zarkon’s defeat with food, wine, and dancing. Lance loved being the center of attention, but even he needed a break after awhile and managed to escape for some fresh air.

The large glass doors behind him opened and familiar footsteps, so light they were almost silent, padded over to join him.

“Hey,” Keith greeted softly as he crossed his arms on the railing next to Lance.

“Hey,” Lance smiled at the prince. “You needed to get away too, huh?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Keith rolled his eyes. “I know it’s my responsibility as a prince to socialize, but I hate dealing with large crowds.”

Lance hummed and returned his gaze forward.

They stood in silence, admiring the moonlit garden before Keith spoke again.

“I think my mother wants you to be my new bodyguard,” he peeked up at Lance hesitantly. “If you want to, of course.”

Lance blinked.

“What about Shiro?”

“Shiro’s got plenty of responsibilities even without looking after me,” Keith shrugged. “Not to mention he could probably use a vacation after all this time.”

“Oh,” Lance considered this and looked over at the prince. “And...would you be okay with that?”

Keith studied him for a moment before a smirk graced his lips.

“I suppose having you around wouldn’t be too bad,” he said airily.

Lance opened his mouth to make a snappy retort, but Keith suddenly slid closer, closing the few inches between them to link his arm with Lance’s. Keith tilted his head to lay on Lance’s shoulder and Lance’s mouth snapped shut as heat rose to his cheeks.

Once his heart calmed down a bit, Lance cleared his throat.

“Hey, um, can I ask you something?” he said. “It’s a little embarrassing, but probably important if I’m gonna be your new bodyguard.”

“What is it?”

“Should I start calling you Prince Akira?” Lance rubbed the back of his neck, “I’ve still been calling you Keith in my head, but that’s not your real name.”

Keith’s eyes flicked up to Lance’s face before returning to gaze at the rose bushes below.

“Actually,” he said, “it is.”

“What?” Lance blinked.

“When I was born, my parents gave me two names,” Keith quietly explained. “My father named me Akira, as is tradition in the royal family, but my mother was a member of the Sheikah Tribe, and wanted to honor her lineage as well. Only a handful of people know me as Keith, but it’s as equally important to my identity as ‘Prince Akira’ is, if not more so.”

“Oh,” Lance said, a bit surprised. He knew Queen Krolia was a commoner before she married the king, but not that she had been a Sheikah warrior.

“You should probably call me by my proper title when we’re around other people,” the prince added, “but I don’t mind if you call me Keith when we’re alone.”

“Alright,” Lance agreed.

“Besides,” he sighed and tightened his hold on Lance’s arm, “I like being Keith a lot more than I like being Akira. Keith doesn’t have to deal with court politics.”

“Nah, just with fighting monsters and saving the world,” Lance grinned.

“Saving the world is easy,” Keith scoffed. “Keeping myself from punching Duke James in the face? Not so much.”

Lance chuckled and rested his head on top of Keith’s.

“Well,” he said, “maybe we should go on another quest. Find an outlet for your aggression that doesn’t involve hapless courtiers.”

“Now that you mention it,” Keith said, “a report came in earlier from Lurelin Village. Apparently a Hinox was sighted nearby and they’re worried it’ll attack them. We were going to send a platoon of soldiers but…” the prince glanced up through his lashes, “maybe you and I should go instead.”

“Seems a waste to send a whole group of soldiers when the two of us could handle it,” Lance agreed.

“And afterwards we could stay in Lurelin for a few days,” Keith added. “It’s just a small fishing village, but I’ve heard it’s nice. Relaxing.”

“Shiro’s not the only one who could use a vacation,” Lance nodded sagely.

“And after that, who knows,” Keith lifted his head to offer Lance a smile, “maybe we can visit all the people who helped us on our journey. And if adventure finds us along the way, all the better.”

Lance looked into Keith eyes, inches away from his own, and leaned closer.

“I’d like that,” he said.

Keith met him halfway, his eyes falling shut as their lips brushed. The kiss was soft and sweet and perfect, and Lance knew he would fight Zarkon a hundred times if it meant having Keith in his arms like this.

\-----

“Ready, girl?” Lance gave Kaltenecker a fond pat.

At the sound of hooves, he turned to see Keith come up to him astride his own ivory mount. Kosmo trotted along beside him and offered Lance a bark of greeting.

“I took care of things with Mother and Shiro, so we shouldn’t need to hurry back,” Keith said. “I had to spin our trip as more of a diplomacy mission though, so we will have to visit some of the major areas, like Zora’s Domain and Goron City.”

“We were planning on going to those places anyway,” Lance shrugged with a grin.

Keith smiled back. He was dressed once more in his Sheikah outfit, his hair turned inky black. Lance didn’t know if it was to keep a low profile or if Keith just found the ensemble more comfortable. Probably a little of both. In any case, the look suited him and Lance was oddly happy to see its return.

“Maybe before we go to Gerudo Town, we could stop by your family’s ranch and pick up your sisters,” Keith suggested as they rode out the city gates.

“That would be great, but isn’t it a little out of the way?”

The plan was to follow the same general path they’d used to collect the Amulet shards, and the ranch wasn’t exactly en route between Hateno and the Gerudo Desert.

“You still have the Lion’s Flute,” Keith reminded him. “We can just warp to whichever temple is closest.”

Lance paused.

“Why don’t we just warp to every city?” he asked.

Keith grinned.

“Where’s the adventure in that?”

Before Lance could answer, Keith sharply flicked his reins and his horse shot off. Kosmo yipped happily as he raced alongside his master, and Keith’s laughter rang across Hyrule Field.

A wide grin spread across Lance’s face and he spurred Kaltenecker to give chase.

“Hyah!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *checkmarks the "and there was only one (1) bed" trope off my list*
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I had a lot of fun combining two of my biggest obsessions. ٩(๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و
> 
> To any non-Zelda fan readers, I hope you still enjoyed the story! If there was anything confusing, let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to explain it.
> 
> To my fellow Zelda nerds, I hope you had as much fun picking out references as I did writing them! If so, let me know which ones you liked best! 
> 
> And finally, to all new readers, if you liked what you saw, please check out my other works! I’m currently in the middle of a massive ATLA Klance AU that is way longer and more complex than this one, plus the rest of the Voltron cast play much larger roles.
> 
> Last but not least, special thanks to my beta, Melissa. Not only is she a great editor, but she introduced me to Zelda in the first place, so you can thank/blame her for indirectly making this fic happen, haha.
> 
> \-----
> 
> Edit, June 2019: Just in case anyone was confused by the number of chapters, I briefly added a fourth chapter to let subscribers know that The Lion's Flute is now a series. I just love this au so much, I couldn't stay away, haha. If you're interested in reading more about Keith and Lance's adventures in Hyrule before and after the events of The Lion's Flute, please give me or the series a follow! 
> 
> See you next time! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


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